Let's talk e-cigarettes

Jamie Hartmann-Boyce and Nicola Lindson discuss emerging evidence in e-cigarette research and interview Ryan Courtney from the University of New South Wales, Australia. Associate Professor Jamie Hartmann-Boyce and Associate Professor Nicola Lindson discuss the new evidence in e-cigarette research and interview Associate Professor Ryan Courtney from the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia

In the September podcast Ryan Courtney talks about his recent randomised controlled trial looking at vaporised nicotine products (VNP, e-cigarettes) compared to nicotine replacement therapy (gum/ lozenges) for smoking cessation among people experiencing social disadvantage. This study was funded by Australian National Health and Medical Research Council and included 1045 people at the start of the study with 866 people completing follow up. The verified 6-month continuous abstinence rate was 28.4% (148 of 522) in the e-cigarette group and 9.6% (50 of 523) in the NRT group. Their findings indicate that e-cigarettes are more effective than NRT for smoking cessation in this population. Given the challenges for cessation among these socially disadvantaged populations, the authors of the study consider that e-cigarettes present a promising treatment option for this priority group.

This podcast is a companion to the electronic cigarettes Cochrane living systematic review and Interventions for quitting vaping review and shares the evidence from the monthly searches.

Our searches for the EC for smoking cessation review carried out on 1st August and 1st September 2025 found four new studies (10.7326/ANNALS-24-03531 by Courtney et al discussed in this podcast; 10.1016/S2468-2667(25)00101-X; 10.1186/s12916-025-04167-y; 10.1016/j.ypmed.2025.108389). The searches found six papers linked studies included in the review (10.57187/s.4571; 10.1186/s13063-025-08954-z; 10.1111/add.70115; 10.1016/j.ypmed.2025.108353; 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2025.112821; 10.3310/JHFR0841).

Our search for our interventions for quitting vaping review carried out 1st August and 1st September 2025 found two new ongoing studies (NCT07040566; ISRCTN11383698), and one linked paper (10.1016/S2468-2667(25)00145-8).

For further details see our webpage under 'Monthly search findings':

https://www.cebm.ox.ac.uk/research/electronic-cigarettes-for-smoking-cessation-cochrane-living-systematic-review-1

For more information on the full Cochrane review of E-cigarettes for smoking cessation updated in January 2025 see: https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD010216.pub9/full

For more information on the full Cochrane review of Interventions for quitting vaping published in January 2025 see: https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD016058.pub2/full

This podcast is supported by Cancer Research UK.

Jamie Hartmann-Boyce and Nicola Lindson discuss emerging evidence in e-cigarette research and interview Elias Klemperer from the University of Vermont, USA. Associate Professor Jamie Hartmann-Boyce and Associate Professor Nicola Lindson discuss the new evidence in e-cigarette research and interview Dr Elias Klemperer behavioural scientist and licenced clinical psychologist, Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont, USA. Elias works in the field of tobacco regulatory science and tobacco control. He has a special interest in long-term users of both cigarettes and e-cigarettes, dual users, a group who take in nicotine via two methods. In the July podcast Elias Klemperer discusses his recent 2 × 2 factorial trial randomized trial of nicotine replacement therapy (patches and lozenges) in 396 young adult dual users aged 18–29 (DOI: 10.1093/ntr/ntaf119). In a randomized factorial trial participants are randomly placed into different groups to test more than one treatment at the same time. The study was funded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and the National Cancer Institute, USA. Elias Klemperer and his team carried out this study as little is known regarding nicotine replacement therapy for young adult dual users, or whether to recommend quitting versus continuing e-cigarettes during smoking cessation treatment. The participants received 12 weeks of combination NRT compared to no NRT for stopping smoking, plus text-based treatment recommendations to quit or to continue using e-cigarettes. This advice was delivered via written material, an animated video they developed in-house, and text message support during the 12-week treatment period. The study looked at abstinence from cigarettes at 12 and 24 weeks. Their study found that NRT was effective in promoting early smoking cessation among young adult dual users. Their secondary findings indicated that pairing NRT with support to quit both products could enhance the effects on prolonged cigarette abstinence.

This podcast is a companion to the electronic cigarettes Cochrane living systematic review and Interventions for quitting vaping review and shares the evidence from the monthly searches.

Our search for the EC for smoking cessation review carried out on 1st July 2025 found six papers linked studies included in the review (10.1101/2025.05.06.25327053; 10.1016/j.jacadv.2025.101833; 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2025.112740; 10.1186/s13722-025-00575-w; 10.1038/s41598-025-03904-w; 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-098005).

Our search for our interventions for quitting vaping review up to 1st July 2025 found one new study by Klemperer et al discussed in this podcast (10.1093/ntr/ntaf119), one new ongoing study (10.1136/bmjopen-2024-096963), and two linked papers (10.1093/heapro/daaf085; 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2025.04.012).

For further details see our webpage under 'Monthly search findings':

https://www.cebm.ox.ac.uk/research/electronic-cigarettes-for-smoking-cessation-cochrane-living-systematic-review-1

For more information on the full Cochrane review of E-cigarettes for smoking cessation updated in January 2025 see: https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD010216.pub9/full

For more information on the full Cochrane review of Interventions for quitting vaping published in January 2025 see: https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD016058.pub2/full

This podcast is supported by Cancer Research UK.

Jamie Hartmann-Boyce and Nicola Lindson interview Lauren McMillan, University of Stirling about her project evaluating the effectiveness of an e-cigarette intervention for smoking cessation at centres for people experiencing or at Associate Professor Jamie Hartmann-Boyce and Associate Professor Nicola Lindson discuss the new evidence in e-cigarette research and interview Lauren McMillan from the Institute for Social Marketing and Health (ISMH) at the University of Stirling.

In the June podcast Lauren discusses Project SCeTCH - a cluster RCT that evaluates the effectiveness of an e-cigarette intervention vs usual care at centres for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. The study measures smoking abstinence over a 6 month follow-up period and includes embedded process and economic evaluations. If effective, the results will be used to inform the larger-scale implementation of offering e-cigarettes throughout centres for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness to aid smoking cessation. Lauren is part of the research team, led by Dr Allison Ford at the University of Stirling, that conducted the process evaluation of the SCeTCH trial . The main SCeTCH trial was led by Professor Lynne Dawkins (London Southbank University) and Dr Sharon Cox (University College London).

This podcast is a companion to the electronic cigarettes Cochrane living systematic review and Interventions for quitting vaping review and shares the evidence from the monthly searches.

Our search for the EC for smoking cessation review carried out on 1st June 2025 found

1 ongoing study: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06948058

Our search for our interventions for quitting vaping review up to 1st June 2025 found 2 new (DOI 10.1093/ntr/ntaf112; 10.1016/j.amepre.2025.107664) and 2 linked papers (DOI: 10.2196/72002; 10.1016/j.cct.2025.107958)

For further details see our webpage under 'Monthly search findings':

https://www.cebm.ox.ac.uk/research/electronic-cigarettes-for-smoking-cessation-cochrane-living-systematic-review-1

For more information on the full Cochrane review of E-cigarettes for smoking cessation updated in January 2025 see: https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD010216.pub9/full

For more information on the full Cochrane review of Interventions for quitting vaping published in January 2025 see: https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD016058.pub2/full

This podcast is supported by Cancer Research UK.

Jamie Hartmann-Boyce and Nicola Lindson discuss emerging evidence in e-cigarette research and interview Steve Cook from the University of Michigan USA about the importance of correctly interpreting and assessing the available data Associate Professor Jamie Hartmann-Boyce and Associate Professor Nicola Lindson discuss the new evidence in e-cigarette research and interview Dr Steven Cook from the Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health University of Michigan and the Centre for Assessment of Tobacco Regulations, University of Michigan.

In the May podcast Steve Cook discusses the methodological problems of cross-sectional data on the health effects of e-cigarette use a topic he addressed at the May 2025 EC Summit, Washington DC. Steve Cook underlines why all cross-sectional health effects studies should be interpreted with extreme caution unless they examine dose-response relationships and account for temporality and cigarette smoking confounding. Dr Cook emphasises the importance of other information such as smoking histories and health histories and the importance of developing a best practice to ensure that we minimize the risks associated with spurious association and maximise predictive accuracy.

Steven Cook receives National Institute for Health (NIH) and Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) funding. This is not deemed a conflict of interest.

EC Summit, Washington DC: https://www.e-cigarette-summit.com/program-2025/ Recent paper: 10.1016/j.isci.2025.111985

This podcast is a companion to the electronic cigarettes Cochrane living systematic review and Interventions for quitting vaping review and shares the evidence from the monthly searches.

Our search for the EC for smoking cessation review carried out on 1st May 2025 found

1 ongoing (NCT06922617) and 1 linked study (DOI: 10.1101/2025.02.17.25322409).

Our search for our interventions for quitting vaping review up to 1st May 2025 found 1 new (DOI 10.1001/jama.2025.3810) and 4 ongoing studies (DOI 10.2196/71961, KCT0010346, NCT06909500, NCT06929520).

For further details see our webpage under 'Monthly search findings':

https://www.cebm.ox.ac.uk/research/electronic-cigarettes-for-smoking-cessation-cochrane-living-systematic-review-1

For more information on the full Cochrane review of E-cigarettes for smoking cessation updated in January 2025 see: https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD010216.pub9/full

For more information on the full Cochrane review of Interventions for quitting vaping published in January 2025 see: https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD016058.pub2/full

This podcast is supported by Cancer Research UK.

Jamie Hartmann-Boyce and Nicola Lindson explore new e-cigarette research and speak with Eden Evins from Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, about her randomized clinical trial on varenicline for youth vaping Associate Professor Jamie Hartmann-Boyce and Associate Professor Nicola Lindson discuss the new evidence in e-cigarette research and interview Professor Eden Evins from Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston.

In the April podcast Eden Evins discusses the findings of their new randomised clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy of varenicline for nicotine vaping cessation in 261 treatment seeking youth (16-24 years) who do not smoke tobacco regularly. This study has just been published in JAMA, April 2025 (DOI:10.1001/jama.2025.3810 NCT05367492).

Professor Evins describes her interest in the high use of vapes among young people and the speed at which this increase to a different flavoured form of nicotine has occurred. Professor Evins and her team thought that varenicline, a pill based drug that is used for quitting smoking, could work for vaping cessation. She talks about the huge demand to take part in the study and how the team had to pause recruitment to keep up. She describes how young people were indignant, they had not expected to become addicted. Professor Evins says that when young people found they couldn't sit through a study session without needing to vape they were surprised and felt taken advantage of by marketers and these flavored products that they had thought were for fun.

Their study funded by the National Institutes of Health in the US shows that the continuous abstinence rates in the last month of treatment (51% vs 14%) and at 6-month follow-up (28% vs 7%) are higher in the varenicline group than in the placebo group. This was a 12-week trial with 6 month follow up. Treatment-emergent adverse events did not differ significantly between groups. In summary varenicline, when added to brief cessation counselling, is well tolerated and promotes nicotine vaping cessation compared with placebo in youth with addiction to vaped nicotine.

This podcast is a companion to the electronic cigarettes Cochrane living systematic review and Interventions for quitting vaping review and shares the evidence from the monthly searches.

Our search for the EC for smoking cessation review carried out on 1st April 2025 found 1 new ongoing study (NCT06789692) and 5 linked papers.

Our search for our interventions for quitting vaping review up to 1st April 2025 found 3 new ongoing studies (NCT06862050; TCTR20250203006; NCT06885606),

For further details see our webpage under 'Monthly search findings':

https://www.cebm.ox.ac.uk/research/electronic-cigarettes-for-smoking-cessation-cochrane-living-systematic-review-1

For more information on the full Cochrane review of E-cigarettes for smoking cessation updated in January 2025 see: https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD010216.pub9/full

For more information on the full Cochrane review of Interventions for quitting vaping published in January 2025 see: https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD016058.pub2/full

This podcast is supported by Cancer Research UK.

Jamie Hartmann-Boyce and Nicola Lindson discuss emerging evidence in e-cigarette research and interview Monserrat Conde from the University of Oxford. Associate Professor Jamie Hartmann-Boyce and Associate Professor Nicola Lindson discuss the new evidence in e-cigarette research and interview Dr Monserrat Conde from the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford.

In the March podcast Monserrat Conde discusses the findings of the recent systematic review of electronic cigarettes and subsequent smoking in young people and an evidence and gap map. The systematic review aims to assess the evidence for a relationship between the use of e-cigarettes /vapes and subsequent smoking in young people under 30, and whether this differs by demographic characteristics. There is very low certainty evidence suggesting that e-cigarette use and availability are inversely associated with smoking in young people (i.e. as e-cigarettes become more available and/or are used more widely, youth smoking rates go down or, conversely, as e-cigarettes are restricted, youth smoking rates go up). At an individual level, people who vape appear to be more likely to go on to smoke than people who do not vape; however, it is unclear if these behaviours are causally linked. Monserrat discusses the differences in the information coming from the population studies compared to the individual level studies and notes that most studies are from high income countries, in particular from the US. To see the full review: https://doi.org/10.1111/add.16773

This podcast is a companion to the electronic cigarettes Cochrane living systematic review and Interventions for quitting vaping review and shares the evidence from the monthly searches.

Our literature searches for the EC for smoking cessation review carried out on 1st March 2025 found 1 new study (DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2024.112271), one new ongoing study (ACTRN12625000179437) and two records linked to studies included in the review.

Our literature searches for the interventions for quitting vaping review carried out on 1st March 2025 found 2 new ongoing studies (NCT06832098, ACTRN12625000143426) and four records linked to studies included in the review.

For further details see our webpage under 'Monthly search findings': https://www.cebm.ox.ac.uk/research/electronic-cigarettes-for-smoking-cessation-cochrane-living-systematic-review-1

For more information on the full Cochrane review of E-cigarettes for smoking cessation updated in January 2025 see: https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD010216.pub9/full

For more information on the full Cochrane review of Interventions for quitting vaping published in January 2025 see: https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD016058.pub2/full

This podcast is supported by Cancer Research UK.

Jamie Hartmann-Boyce and Nicola Lindson discuss emerging evidence in e-cigarette research and interview Olivier Drouin from the University of Montreal, Canada. Associate Professor Jamie Hartmann-Boyce and Associate Professor Nicola Lindson discuss the new evidence in e-cigarette research and interview Dr Olivier Drouin. Dr Olivier Drouin is a Clinical Assistant Professor in both the Department of Paediatrics and Department of Social and Preventive Medicine at Université de Montréal.

In the February podcast Olivier Drouin discusses his ongoing pilot randomized trial of a brief digital screening and intervention tool for parental and adolescents to address tobacco and electronic cigarette use, CanCEASE. This study takes place in paediatric medical care settings in Canada and is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Their pilot study aims to demonstrate the feasibility and evaluate the preliminary effectiveness of the CEASE program for parental smoking cessation and its adapted version for adolescent smoking cessation and adolescent and parental vaping cessation. There is a strong need for effective and cost-effective smoking and vaping cessation interventions for parents and adolescents. If successful, this study will help inform the preparation of a fully powered randomized controlled trial of CEASE in Canada in these populations. Olivier Drouin discusses the importance of behavioural science in understanding the drivers of behaviour and health behaviour change, including the use of scientific method to understand rational and irrational behaviours, habit formation and the role of peer pressure and social norms.

The pilot study discussed in this podcast by Chadi at al 2023 is DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.2196/47978; NCT05366790.

This podcast is a companion to the electronic cigarettes Cochrane living systematic review and Interventions for quitting vaping review and shares the evidence from the monthly searches.

Our literature searches for the EC for smoking cessation review carried out on 1st February 2025 found 2 new studies (Ikonomidis 2024 DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehae666.3388; Kouroutzoglou 2024 DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehae666.2955) and 6 papers linked to studies included in our review. Our catch-up search for our interventions for quitting vaping review up to 1st February 2025 found 7 new ongoing studies and 4 linked papers.

For further details see our webpage under 'Monthly search findings':

https://www.cebm.ox.ac.uk/research/electronic-cigarettes-for-smoking-cessation-cochrane-living-systematic-review-1

For more information on the full Cochrane review of E-cigarettes for smoking cessation updated in January 2025 see: https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD010216.pub9/full

For more information on the full Cochrane review of Interventions for quitting vaping published in January 2025 see: https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD016058.pub2/full

This podcast is supported by Cancer Research UK.

Jamie Hartmann-Boyce and Nicola Lindson discuss emerging evidence in e-cigarette research and talk about the findings of their newly published Cochrane review of interventions for quitting vaping. Associate Professor Jamie Hartmann-Boyce and Associate Professor Nicola Lindson discuss the new evidence in e-cigarette research. Jamie and Nicola share the findings of their new Cochrane review of interventions for quitting vaping published in January 2025 and funded by Cancer Research UK (https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD016058.pub2). This new review included nine studies in just over 5,000 participants. Studies tested nicotine replacement therapy, cytisine, varenicline, nicotine/vaping reduction and text message-based interventions. The review found that text-message-based interventions may help young people to stop vaping and that varenicline may help people to stop vaping when compared to no or minimal support. There was some promising evidence from a shorter study of cytisine. More information is needed on other interventions, on potential harms and on the effect on use of tobacco cigarettes. Twenty ongoing studies looking at a range of interventions were identified in the review. The motivation for the review and the press coverage is also discussed.

This podcast is a companion to the electronic cigarettes Cochrane living systematic review and Interventions for quitting vaping review and shares the evidence from the monthly searches.

Our literature searches for the EC for smoking cessation review carried out on 1st December and 1st January found 3 new studies (Kale 2024 DOI 10.1101/2024.09.13.24313612; Pericot-Valverde 2024 DOI 10.1093/ntr/ntae260; Sifat 2024 DOI 10.1016/j.dadr.2024.100295) and 3 linked studies (DOIs 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e39695; 10.1111/add.16698; 10.1093/ntr/ntae223)

For further details see our webpage under 'Monthly search findings':

https://www.cebm.ox.ac.uk/research/electronic-cigarettes-for-smoking-cessation-cochrane-living-systematic-review-1

For more information on the full Cochrane review of E-cigarettes for smoking cessation updated in January 2024 see: https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD010216.pub8/full

For more information on the full Cochrane review of Interventions for quitting vaping published in January 2025 see: https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD016058.pub2/full

This podcast is supported by Cancer Research UK.

Jamie Hartmann-Boyce and Nicola Lindson discuss emerging evidence in e-cigarette research and interview Marathi Vojjala from New York University, Global Institute of Public Health, USA. Associate Professor Jamie Hartmann-Boyce and Associate Professor Nicola Lindson discuss the new evidence in e-cigarette research and interview Dr Marathi Vojjala from the Global Institute of Public Health, New York University, USA.

In the November podcast Marathi Vojjala discusses her pilot randomised controlled trial (RCT) that aims to investigate the effects of switching to electronic cigarettes from combustible cigarettes and the potential acceptability of e-cigarettes or as a harm reduction strategy among individuals with chronic diseases who smoke. This study examines examining the potential of behavioural counselling paired with e-cigarettes versus nicotine replacement therapy (e.g. nicotine patches or gum) for achieving harm reduction and decreased combustible cigarette use. The findings from this pilot RCT hold significant implications for chronic conditions such as COPD, asthma, CAD, and peripheral arterial disease who smoke combustible cigarettes. The observed reduction in CPD and improvement in respiratory symptoms suggest that switching to e-cigarettes appears feasible and acceptable among those with chronic diseases. These results suggest that e-cigarettes may offer an alternative for individuals struggling to quit combustible cigarette smoking through existing pharmacotherapies. This study supports further exploration of switching to e-cigarettes as a harm reduction strategy among combustible cigarette users who have been unsuccessful at quitting by other means.

This podcast is a companion to the electronic cigarettes Cochrane living systematic review and shares the evidence from the monthly searches.

Our literature searches carried out on 1st November found 1 new ongoing study (NCT06614504) & 2 linked papers (DOIs: 10.1111/dar.13953 & 10.1001/jamainternmed.2024.5196)

For further details see our webpage under 'Monthly search findings':

https://www.cebm.ox.ac.uk/research/electronic-cigarettes-for-smoking-cessation-cochrane-living-systematic-review-1

For more information on the full Cochrane review updated in January 2024 see: https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD010216.pub8/full

This podcast is supported by Cancer Research UK.

Jamie Hartmann-Boyce and Nicola Lindson discuss emerging evidence in e-cigarette research and interview Stephen Higgins from the University of Vermont Associate Professor Jamie Hartmann-Boyce and Associate Professor Nicola Lindson discuss the new evidence in e-cigarette research and interview Professor Stephen Higgins from the University of Vermont Tobacco Center of Regulatory Science, Burlington, USA. Professor Stephen Higgins uses the concepts and methods of behavioural economics and behavioural pharmacology to investigate tobacco, illicit drugs, and other health-related risk behaviours in vulnerable populations.

In the October podcast Stephen Higgins describes his recent studies on reduced nicotine cigarettes and e-cigarettes in high-risk populations. Their three randomised clinical trials involved 326 participants. They found that decreases in cigarettes smoked daily, resulting from smoking cigarettes with reduced nicotine content, were significantly larger when adults from at-risk populations had access to e-cigarettes in their preferred flavours. Their study findings indicate that access to preferred flavoured e-cigarettes has the potential to enhance the effect of a nicotine-reduction policy on cigarette smoking in populations with psychiatric conditions or lower education level who are at greatest risk for smoking and associated harm.

This podcast is a companion to the electronic cigarettes Cochrane living systematic review and shares the evidence from the monthly searches.

Our literature searches carried out on 1st October found: 2 new studies. The study by Higgins et al described on this podcast (DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.31731) and DOI: 10.1093/ntr/ntae212. We also found 3 linked papers (10.2196/58260, 10.1111/add.16633, 10.1038/s41415-024-7850-5)

For further details see our webpage under 'Monthly search findings':

https://www.cebm.ox.ac.uk/research/electronic-cigarettes-for-smoking-cessation-cochrane-living-systematic-review-1

For more information on the full Cochrane review updated in January 2024 see: https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD010216.pub8/full

This podcast is supported by Cancer Research UK