Dual Electronic, Conventional Cigarette Use Not Tied to Cessation

Most dual users either continue dual use or transition to exclusive conventional cigarette use

By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, Dec. 10, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Dual use (DU) of vapes and conventional cigarettes does not appear to be a first step toward smoking cessation, according to a review published online Dec. 3 in ERJ Open Research.

Josef Hamoud, from Georg-August University Göttingen in Germany, and colleagues conducted a systematic literature review to investigate whether DU can promote smoking cessation.

Based on 16 original studies, the researchers found great heterogeneity, with many presenting moderate-to-high risks for bias. The meta-analysis included pooled data from eight studies, which showed most dual users who changed state transitioned to cigarette smoking. Those who were dual users at baseline were less likely to report a transition into complete abstinence versus exclusive conventional or exclusive electronic cigarette smokers. Among dual users, about one-fifth remained in the same use status after >16 to 24 months, exposing them to DU for a prolonged time. Eight percent of DU remained DU after >24 to 48 months.

“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,” Hamoud said in a statement. “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.”