Nicotine e-cigarettes increase smoking cessation more than nicotine replacement therapy or non-nicotine e-cigarettes at ≥6 mo

Question
Does use of e-cigarettes increase long-term abstinence from smoking?

Review methods
Searched multiple databases to Mar 2025 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and nonrandomized studies, including single-group studies, that assessed the effects of e-cigarettes or any intervention promoting use of e-cigarettes, with or without nicotine, as a substitute for cigarette use with the intention of smoking cessation in people who smoked cigarettes.

Included studies
104 studies (n = 30 366), including 70 RCTs (9 randomized crossover trials) and 34 uncontrolled studies, met inclusion criteria. 11 RCTs had low risk of bias for all domains of the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool 1, 70 studies had high risk of bias, and 23 had unclear risk.

Bottom line
Nicotine e-cigarettes increase smoking cessation rates more than nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) or non-nicotine e-cigarettes at ≥6 months.