Electronic-cigarettes are less addictive than traditional cigarettes for long-term smokers, according to research that sheds new light on how nicotine addiction works.
“We found that e-cigarettes appear to be less addictive than tobacco cigarettes in a large sample of long-term users,” said Jonathan Foulds from the Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine.
The popularity of e-cigarettes, which typically deliver nicotine, propylene glycol, glycerin and flavourings through inhaled vapour, has increased in the past five years.
E-cigs contain far fewer cancer-causing and other toxic substances than cigarettes, however their long-term effects on health and nicotine dependence are unknown, researchers said.
To study e-cigarette dependence, researchers developed an online survey, including questions designed to assess previous dependence on cigarettes and almost identical questions to assess current dependence on e-cigs.
Higher nicotine concentration in e-cig liquid, as well as use of advanced second-generation e-cigs, which deliver nicotine more efficiently than earlier “cigalikes,” predicted dependence. Consumers who had used e-cigs longer also appeared to be more addicted, Medical Express reported.
“However, people with all the characteristics of a more dependent e-cig user still had a lower e-cig dependence score than their cigarette dependence score,” Foulds said.
“We think this is because they’re getting less nicotine from the e-cigs than they were getting from cigarettes,” Foulds said.
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