A new review of smoking cessation efforts worldwide from 2014 to 2023 has found that the most effective way to quit smoking is with nicotine-containing electronic cigarettes (vapes).

Evidence suggests that nicotine-containing vapes are more effective than nicotine replacement therapies such as patches, gum, lozenges and behavioral support, and are even more effective than nicotine-free e-cigarettes.

But is switching from one nicotine-based product to another really a good idea? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it’s not necessarily so.

Although electronic cigarettes (commonly called e-cigarettes, e-cigs, or vapes) contain relatively few harmful substances compared to the approximately 7,000 deadly chemicals found in regular cigarette smoke, and medical experts agree that traditional cigarettes cause cancer, metabolic diseases, mental retardation, and other serious health problems, vapes are still not considered safe.

Scientists are still continuing to research how e-cigarettes affect human health in the long term.