People who use both vapes and cigarettes are less likely to quit compared to people who only smoke or only vape, says new research.
The study – published in ERJ Open Research – suggests that over time, most ‘dual users’ tend to revert to only smoking cigarettes.
The proportion of dual users who quit completely was 3% over a period of four to eight months, 5% by eight to 16 months, 13% by 16 to 24 months and 24% by 24 to 48 months.
This compares to 6%, 7%, 17% and 25% respectively over the same time periods in people who only smoke and 8%, 19%, 26% and 35% respectively in people who only vape.
Over a period of four to eight months, 30% of dual users switched to cigarettes only. Between eight and 16 months, 47% of dual users switched to cigarettes only. Between 16 and 24 months, the proportion was 58% and after 24 to 48 months, the proportion was 55%.
Most dual users continued to use cigarettes across the time periods. Combining those who continued dual use with those who transitioned to smoking only, the total proportion using cigarettes ranged from 90% to 63%.
Marketing of vapes
Josef Hamoud, from the University Medical Center Göttingen, Germany, is the author of the study.
‘Vaping has become widespread among adolescents and adults worldwide,’ he said.
‘Given the extensive marketing of vapes as healthier alternatives to conventional smoking, they have gained popularity among people trying to quit smoking. Some people are using them in addition to their conventional cigarettes, classifying them as dual users.
‘There is still a lot we don’t know about the long-term health effects of vaping.
‘However, credible studies have already delivered concerning results indicating that dual use might be even more harmful than conventional smoking.’
Double exposure
The researchers concluded that taking up vaping while continuing to smoke will probably not help people to stop smoking.
Hamoud added: ‘Given these findings, we believe that dual use might prove to be a major hinderance in achieving smoking abstinence and this practice should not be recommended for treating nicotine addiction.
‘In addition, while long term health effects of vapes need to be studied further, the double exposure to large amounts of nicotine and toxicants from both conventional cigarettes and vapes are a great concern for public health.’
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