A new study from Queen Mary University of London discovered that smokers who use both cigarettes and e-cigarettes at the same time may be inhaling less hazardous substances. They are also more likely to quit smoking over time than persons who only smoke. The findings dispute the widely held idea that dual usage keeps smokers addicted. 

The study, published in Nicotine and Tobacco Research, followed 886 adult smokers for a year. The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and Cancer Research UK (CRUK) financed the trial, which provided participants with either e-cigarettes or nicotine replacement medicines to help them quit smoking. Researchers then tracked how people utilised these products and how this affected their likelihood of stopping. 

The results were apparent. Smokers who vaped while continuing to smoke were more likely to quit after four weeks and one year. Those who partially quit smoked many fewer cigarettes per day and had lower levels of toxins associated with tobacco smoke. 

Dr Francesca Pesola, Senior Lecturer in Statistics at Queen Mary and the study's lead author, stated that "the sooner smokers quit, the better, but for those who find it difficult to stop smoking abruptly, vaping can help with doing so gradually over time." 

Dr Peter Hajek, Professor of Clinical Psychology and co-lead author, added: "Smokers (and physicians) sometimes assume that if smokers do not manage to quit smoking shortly after starting vaping, they should cease using e-cigarettes to avoid 'dual usage'. These findings demonstrate that dual use promotes genuine harm reduction and can be a helpful step towards quitting smoking entirely." 

The study also identified three behavioural patterns. First, persons who used e-cigarettes reported fewer cravings than those who used nicotine replacement therapy, which could explain why they were able to quit more quickly. Second, most participants started with strong nicotine e-liquids and progressively progressed to lower levels. After a year, one in ten had switched to nicotine-free liquids. Third, tobacco-flavoured e-liquids were unpopular and were associated with reduced quit success, but fruit and other tastes were more popular among those who remained smokefree. 

While the UK's smoking rate is only 11.9%, the study provides insights for countries with significantly higher tobacco burdens. India is one of them, with over 267 million tobacco smokers and a strong reliance on low-cost products such as bidis. Quitting support remains inadequate, and many people struggle to stop abruptly without assistance. According to the Queen Mary findings, steady reduction, accompanied by safer nicotine substitutes, could provide a viable pathway out of tobacco addiction, particularly for persons with few economical options and significant societal pressures to persist.