Only consider e‑cigarettes if you’ve already tried quitting; non‑smokers should avoid them

Switching to nicotine‑containing e‑cigarettes helps roughly 60% more people quit smoking than nicotine patches — this finding is quite reliable. However, e‑cigarettes are not harmless; long‑term safety data remain limited. For people who have never smoked, there is absolutely no benefit to using them.

Cost

The device plus cartridges cost anywhere from a few dozen to several hundred yuan per month. In China, only tobacco‑flavored e‑cigarettes are legally sold, and only at stores holding a tobacco retail license.

Benefit

This up‑to‑date review includes 80 randomized trials involving 29,861 participants. Compared with nicotine replacement therapy, e‑cigarettes raise the quit rate by about 61% (RR 1.61, 95% CI 1.23–2.12; high‑certainty evidence based on 11 trials with 4,114 participants). In absolute terms, that translates to roughly 4 extra quitters per 100 users (range: 1–7). The rate of serious adverse events is similar between groups (risk difference 0.01, 95% CI −0.01–0.02; moderate‑certainty evidence). Compared with behavioral support alone or no support at all, e‑cigarettes improve quit rates by about 75% (RR 1.75, 95% CI 1.39–2.20; low‑certainty evidence).

Notes

This topic is controversial. WHO does not recommend e‑cigarettes as a smoking‑cessation tool, citing insufficient long‑term safety data and concerns that they may attract youth to nicotine. The UK, however, includes them in its quit‑smoking services. In China, e‑cigarette sales are not completely banned but are tightly regulated under the “Administrative Measures for E‑Cigarettes.” Only tobacco‑flavored products may be sold, and only at physical stores holding a tobacco retail license; fruit‑flavored e‑cigarettes and refillable devices are prohibited. Sales through any website, online shop, or social‑media platform other than the state‑run e‑cigarette trading platform are illegal, and sales to minors are forbidden. Consequently, fruit‑flavored e‑cigarettes that are still available are sold through illicit channels outside regulatory oversight. This is also how synthetic‑cannabinoid‑laced “high‑effect” e‑cigarettes enter the market; see Section 22, Item 4 (“Do not accept unknown cartridges”). The review examined only legally regulated nicotine‑containing products; unverified e‑liquid mixtures were not included. As a first step, it is advisable to try the medication described in Item 3 of this section, which offers stronger evidence and lower cost.

Sources · 2

1. Lindson N, Livingstone-Banks J, Butler AR, et al. (2026). Electronic cigarettes for smoking cessation. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 8, CD010216. doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD010216.pub11
2. 国家烟草专卖局 (2022). 电子烟管理办法（国家烟草专卖局公告 2022 年第 1 号，2022 年 5 月 1 日施行）第十八条：从事电子烟零售业务，要向烟草专卖行政主管部门申领烟草专卖零售许可证。第二十二条：「禁止向未成年人出售电子烟产品。」第二十三条第二款：「任何个人、法人或者其他组织不得通过本办法规定的电子烟交易管理平台以外的信息网络销售电子烟产品、雾化物和电子烟用烟碱等。」第二十六条：「禁止销售除烟草口味外的调味电子烟和可自行添加雾化物的电子烟。」. gov.cn/gongbao/content/2022/content_5697988.htm