ROLE OF E-CIGARETTES IN THE SMOKING CESSATION

Abstract

Background: Smoking cessation is one of the main methods in the COPD management and is an obligatory part of its treatment. Therefore, the search for the new methods for the smoking cessation continues. Electron cigarette is one of them. Mehtods: The survey was conducted among 168 former smokers, 96 (57.1 %) men and 72 (42.9 %) women, who started to uses e-cigarettes for the smoking cessation. Patients, who started using e-cigarettes, have stopped use of cigarettes. Nicotine dose in e-cigarettes was equal to the nicotine dose in usual cigarettes. Results: An average age was 52.4±5.3 with the smoking experience of 21.1±3.2 packyears. 34 (20.2 %) ended up e-cigarettes use during the first month on their own. Among them 20 (58.8 %) men and 14 (41.2%) women, 62 (36.9 %) ended up e-cigarettes use in the period from 1 to 2 months. Among them 41 (66.1 %) men and 21 (33.9 %) women. By the end of the third month, 13 patients (7.7 %), 7 (53.8 %) men and 6 (46.2 %) women, ended up use of e-cigarettes and 59 (35.2%) of patients have continued e-cigarettes use. By the end of the study, 109 (64.9 %) ended up using e-cigarettes, among them 68 (70.8 %) men and 41 (56.9 %). In the group, who continued e-cigarettes use were 28 (47.4 %) men and 31 (52.6%) women. By the end of the study, 13 patients (7.7 %) quit smoking. The program for the nicotine use decrease was applied for the patients who continued e-cigarettes use after the period of 3 months. Conclusion: So, e-cigarettes are low-effective as an independent component of the smoking cessation program. We do not recommend e-cigarettes as an independent method for the smoking cessation, because they have low clinical efficacy and high economic expenses.