Using e-cigarettes for smoking cessation : evaluation of a pilot project in the North West of England

Coffey, M; Cooper-Ryan, AM; Houston, L; Thompson, K; Cook, PA

Abstract

Aims:
E-cigarettes have been advocated as an effective smoking cessation intervention, with evidence indicating that they are substantially less harmful than conventional cigarettes. As a result, a pilot to encourage people to swap from conventional cigarettes to e-cigarettes was conducted in 2018 in a socially deprived area in the North West of England. This evaluation highlights the key findings from the pilot.

Methods:
An analysis of secondary data at 4 weeks (n = 1022) was undertaken to predict those who used solely used e-cigarettes (i.e. had quit tobacco, as confirmed by a carbon monoxide test, CO < 10 ppm) from baseline characteristics, using chi-square tests and logistic regression. Baseline data were demographics, smoking levels and service provider type.

Results:
Of the 1022 participants who engaged with the pilot 614 were still engaged at 4 weeks, of whom 62% had quit; quitting was more likely in younger participants (aged 18–24) and less likely in those who were sick and disabled. Of those who still smoked tobacco at week 4 (n = 226), smoking had reduced from a baseline of 19.1 cigarettes/day to 8.7. Overall, 37% (381) of those initially enrolled were confirmed to be using an e-cigarette on its own at follow-up. Successful quit was associated with occupation (unemployed, 33% vs intermediate, 47%, p = .023) and residing in the less deprived quintiles of deprivation (50% vs 34% in the most deprived quintile, p = .016).

Conclusions:
Making the conservative assumption that all those not in contact at 4 weeks were still smoking tobacco, for every five people entering the scheme, three people stayed on the programme and reduced their cigarette smoking and one person cut out tobacco altogether. E-cigarettes appear to be an effective nicotine replacement therapy; however, further research is required to determine whether e-cigarette users are more likely to reduce their overall nicotine consumption in the longer term.

Citation

Coffey, M., Cooper-Ryan, A., Houston, L., Thompson, K., & Cook, P. (2020). Using e-cigarettes for smoking cessation : evaluation of a pilot project in the North West of England. Perspectives in Public Health, 140(6), 351-361. https://doi.org/10.1177/1757913920912436

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Feb 13, 2020
• Online Publication Date: May 11, 2020
• Publication Date: Nov 1, 2020
• Deposit Date: Jun 4, 2020
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 4, 2020
• Journal: Perspectives in Public Health
• Print ISSN: 1757-9139
• Electronic ISSN: 1757-9147
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• Volume: 140
• Issue: 6
• Pages: 351-361
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1757913920912436
• Publisher URL: https://doi.org/10.1177/1757913920912436
• Related Public URLs: http://www.uk.sagepub.com/journals/Journal201762
• Additional Information: Projects : Swap to Stop E-cigarette Pilot