Study: E-cigarettes are more effective at helping smokers quit than patches and gums

A man smokes an e-cigarette.
(Image credit: EVA HAMBACH/AFP via Getty Images)

A new study finds that e-cigarettes help more smokers quit than other nicotine replacement treatments, including lozenges and patches.

The study, published Wednesday by the New England Journal of Medicine, is the first randomized trial to test how effective e-cigarettes are compared to nicotine replacement products, the trial's leader, psychologist Peter Hajek, told The Washington Post. About 900 smokers participated in the study, and also received behavioral support. The researchers found that after a year, 18 percent of e-cigarette users were smoke-free, while only 9.9 percent of those in the nicotine replacement group could say the same.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.