This study is being led by Dr. Mark Eisenberg, a cardiologist and epidemiologist at the Lady Davis Institute at the Jewish General Hospital, (JGH). “The single most reversible cause of mortality in Canada is smoking,” he said, adding, “The goal of our study is to determine whether e-cigarettes can be used as a transitional tool from smoking conventional cigarettes to quitting completely.”

The numbers that prompted this study

It is calculated that smoking is contributing to the deaths of about 37,000 Canadian citizens per year. Additionally only 10 to 20 percent of smokers are managing to quit successfully with the help of currently accepted cessation aids such as nicotine patches, gum and counselling. Hence the need for new and more effective tools is the motivator behind this research.

Various studies have found electronic cigarettes to be the most effective smoking cessation aids to date. This is due to the fact that they mimic the action of smoking, providing an easier transition for smokers trying to quit. Furthermore a renowned report released by Public Health England, (PHE), is known to have found vaping to be at least 95% safer than smoking. This lead to the products being endorsed as smoking cessation tools throughout the UK, which in turn lead to the country reporting the lowest number of smokers ever reported.

The research details

Dr. Eisenberg and his team are looking for almost 500 participants, over the age of 18 who have smoked ten cigarettes or more per day for over a year, and most importantly who are motivated to quit. The group will then be randomly split into the three as follows: one given nicotine e-cigarettes with individual counselling, one given non-nicotine e-cigarettes with individual counselling, and the third group only individual counselling.

The treatment will be carried out over a  period of twelve weeks, with a follow-up for a year to evaluate whether the participants maintain abstinence, whilst documenting any withdrawal symptoms and side effects.

“Ultimately, multiple trials in multiple populations will be necessary to establish the efficacy of e-cigarettes,” concluded  Dr. Eisenberg, “but ours is a significant first step.”

Knowledge that could save millions of lives

Vaping products are currently not only not accepted as smoking cessation tools, but are in many places either regulated as tobacco products or forbidden altogether. The hope is that this research will equip lawmakers and all those in the health industry with much needed information, about the products that could contribute to the undoing of the current health crises caused by smoking.

Anyone interested in knowing more about the clinical trial, may contact Shauna McGee, E3 Trial Coordinator, 514-340-8222, ext. 3240 or Shauna.McGee@ladydavis.ca