Many smokers believe vaping helps them quit cigarettes. But a new national study says otherwise. Researchers found that vaping may actually reduce the chances of quitting smoking, rather than increase them.
Scientists at UC San Diego studied more than 6,000 adult smokers in the U.S. Their findings, published in a major medical journal, show that smokers who used e-cigarettes were less likely to quit than those who didn’t use them.
The idea that switching to vaping helps people stop smoking is not backed by current science. Smokers who vaped daily were 4.1% less likely to quit, while those who vaped occasionally had a 5.3% lower quit rate compared to non-vapers.
Lead researcher John P. Pierce said most smokers think vaping helps them quit. However, this large-scale analysis shows that belief isn’t supported by scientific evidence so far.
Researchers used data from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study. They compared smokers who vaped to those who didn’t, carefully matching them by age, lifestyle, and motivation to quit.
By comparing similar smokers, scientists removed other factors that could affect the results. People who live in smoke-free homes or are more motivated to quit were balanced across both groups.
Karen Messer, who led the study, said comparing like with like was crucial. This approach made the findings more reliable and avoided misleading results seen in past studies.
Despite evidence against it, the myth that vaping helps people quit smoking continues. That’s partly because many earlier studies didn’t properly control for differences between users.
Cigarettes are still the most common tobacco product, but e-cigarettes have grown in popularity. Many people view them as safer and as a step toward quitting. This study disputes that idea.
Researchers warned that although vapes may lack some harmful chemicals found in tobacco smoke, they are not risk-free. The long-term health effects of vaping remain unknown.
Pierce noted that the harm from smoking became clear only after 20 years. Vaping may follow a similar path, with unknown health risks showing up decades later.
The study controlled for how often people smoked, their motivation to quit, whether their home banned smoking, and their income and education levels. These factors all affect success in quitting.
Even after adjusting for those factors, vaping didn’t help people quit smoking. In fact, it appeared to make quitting harder.
Messer explained that people who are motivated, live in smoke-free homes, and don’t smoke every day are more likely to quit—whether they vape or not.
Researchers warned that e-cigarettes may not help people quit smoking but instead lead to a new form of nicotine addiction. That challenges how vaping is often marketed.
Natalie Quach, the study’s lead author, said there’s still much we don’t know. But the idea that vaping helps people quit is “not true,” she added. It likely keeps people hooked on nicotine.
The findings matter not just to individuals, but also to health policy. If vaping makes quitting harder, then current laws and recommendations around e-cigarettes may need to change.
Experts also worry that teens who start with vaping may later take up cigarettes or become addicted to nicotine in other forms. Stronger regulations and warnings are needed.
With e-cigarette use rising, especially among teens, the study stresses the need for better public health messaging. The myth that vaping is harmless or helpful must be corrected with science.
Messer said the public health community must base its actions on strong scientific evidence. E-cigarettes, despite flashy marketing, do not help people quit smoking.
This study brings clarity to a long-standing debate. Vaping doesn’t help people quit smoking—in fact, it may make things worse. It’s time for public health policies to reflect that reality.
