Vapes help to stop smoking, but not necessarily stop using nicotine

(Image: Pixabay CC0) - Vapes are an effective aid to quitting smoking tobacco cigarettes. However, they do not help to reduce nicotine dependence. This is shown by the results of the world's largest study on this topic, which was conducted by a Swiss-wide interdisciplinary research group led by the University of Bern. Vapes, also called e-cigarettes or electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) are electrically powered devices that emit nicotine in the form of vapor. Unlike tobacco cigarettes, they are tobacco-free and deliver significantly lower levels of toxic compounds. Vapes are used by tobacco smokers, among others, to quit smoking cigarettes. So far, however, there is insufficient data on how safe vapes are when they are used over longer periods and as part of intensive smoking cessation counseling, as offered in Switzerland.