Electronic cigarettes are opposed by adversaries that question these devices’ effectiveness and safety in helping a smoker to quit from detrimental smoking habit. Apparently, the recent ECLAT study can give light on how helpful these devices are for those who want to quit and even those who have no intention to.
The ECLAT Study
The title ECLAT came from some of the letter of the phrase EffiCacy and safety of an eLectronic cigarette. It is an Italian study published on PLOS ONE, a scientific journal. It was said to be the first ever clinical assessment on how electronic cigarettes are effective in tobacco reduction as well as smoking cessation.
ECLAT found that 13% of the participants were able to quit within the 52-week study period. This study involved 300 participants and what made the results more amazing is that none of them originally intended to quit from smoking. Furthermore, the cartridges used by the participants contained only 0-7.2 mg/ml nicotine, a level that is far lower compared to what many vapers use as they begin using electronic cigarettes.
The participants were spread into three groups. Group A was given 7.2 mg nicotine that they will use for 12 weeks; Group B was given 7.2 nicotine good for six weeks and 5.4 nicotine good for another six weeks; Group C was given zero strength nicotine good for 12 weeks. Follow up on each participant was done every two weeks on the initial three months, then on the sixth month and on the last day of the trial period. Participants all used outdated 3-piece model of branded electronic cigarettes.
The study showed that each participant smoked more than 20 cigarettes in one day before the beginning of the trial. Twelve weeks after, they only smoked an average of 10 cigarettes. It is even interesting to know that 11% of the participants have already stopped tobacco smoking on week 12; inclusive of 4% of the participants using nicotine-free cartridges. At the end of the trial period, 13% from Group A stopped smoking completely. 73% of the smoking quitters were also reported to have stopped from using electronic cigarettes.
Before ECLAT
During the time before ECLAT, no scientific proofs can support how effective electronic cigarettes are in helping a person to quit. Only personal success stories are available for interested smokers and users to rely on. Therefore, electronic cigarettes are not approved or recommended as nicotine replacement therapy or NRT.
What ECLAT Can Possibly Offer
The vaping community clearly has many benefits from this Italian study. The industry and community have been widely attacked by opponents from various sectors of society that warned the public of the uncertainties of using these devices. Through this research, the effectiveness of electronic cigarettes has been discussed in details and somewhat confirmed. In addition, ECLAT was funded by group Lega Italiana AntiFumo, an anti-smoking group. It only shows that others are also considering the devices as potential smoking cessation aids.
Health Findings BY ECLAT
Another noteworthy aspect of Eclat is that the study did not only consider the effectiveness of the products according to smoking cessation. Researchers also analyzed the effects of these products on the health of the participants. They found that active participants showed no adverse alterations on blood pressure, heart rate at rest. None of the participants were also observed to suffer from the unwanted effects of smoking cessation such as weight gain or depression. In fact, health issues the participants reported they experienced before from smoking were also improved. At the study’s conclusion, the number of participants who suffered from dry cough, throat irritation, headache and shortness of breath has been reduced to half.
More studies like ECLAT, more in-depth and long term are certainly needed until all doubts about the electronic cigarettes are settled. For Now, ECLAT study will serve as a hugely important step toward full understanding of the devices.
