Nearly one in five of us adults in Blackpool still smokes fags, which makes this work by a large group of healthcare researchers really interesting.
The updated Cochrane review brought together 90 completed studies involving 29,044 participants, including 49 randomised trials. The strongest evidence comes from comparing nicotine vapes with patches or gum. Nicotine vapes produced higher quit rates.
In the direct comparison with patches or gum, nicotine vapes produced about four additional quitters for every 100 people. What we see in the shop feels much higher than that, but we give people advice and help them get the kit, nicotine strength and flavour right.
If you are struggling to stop the cigs for good, call us on 01253 596106. We are all ex-smokers and have been doing this for 13 years, so we have quite a few methods that work. We really understand why it can be hard, so please do not overthink asking for help.
Why might a vape work better?
I am Jonny, writing this article, and I have my own thoughts on it.
Your subconscious does not always trust anything different from cigarettes as a reliable source of nicotine. It is not just about replacing nicotine otherwise patches would work for everyone, and they did not (for me anyway) and I have seen people wearing a patch so strong that they felt nauseous, yet they still wanted a fag.
Your subconscious can still expect the ritual before it feels satisfied, so changing as little as possible may work better. With vapes, you change the delivery system but keep the physical action the same.
A lot of people need to keep the cigarette flavour initially too, even though they dislike the taste. Your conscious mind may prefer blueberry to cigarettes, but your subconscious can still associate the taste of cigarettes with feeling satisfied.
Another way to look at it is this. If we found 100 people who had never smoked or vaped and gave them a drag of gummy bears and a drag of a fag, I would bet nearly all of them would prefer the gummy bears so why do smokers stick to something that costs more, is known to be far more harmful and tastes worse than a vape, even when a vape may deliver as much or more nicotine? That is the nature of addiction. The nicotine level is not the whole story.
Our understanding of this is another reason to get in touch if you are struggling, or if you are vaping and smoking at the same time.
This does not mean patches or gum are useless. Different methods suit different people, and sometimes a combination works best. In the direct comparisons, nicotine vapes increased quit rates by about 59%, which works out at around four additional quitters for every 100 people. The evidence is now stronger than ever that nicotine vaping gives smokers a better chance of quitting than patches or gum.
Getting the setup right matters
Handing someone a vape is not the same as helping them switch, which is why specialist shops are valuable.
A heavy smoker who starts on a weak liquid can spend the whole day vaping and still crave a cigarette. Someone given a big cloud kit when they need a tight, cigarette-like draw may decide vaping is not for them before they have properly started. A cloud kit changes too much for most people because you are changing the flavour, the delivery system and the way you take a draw.
Flavour matters too. If the liquid tastes awful after two days, that vape will end up in a drawer and the cigarettes will come back out.
We normally recommend a simple refillable pod kit for a new switcher. Then we match the nicotine strength to how much they smoke and show them how to use it properly. Small changes can make a huge difference during that first week.
Does this mean vaping is harmless?
No. It means vaping is much less harmful than continuing to smoke.
The review found no evidence that using nicotine vapes to quit caused more serious harm during the study periods. Serious problems were uncommon, though, and researchers still need longer studies to understand the effects of vaping over decades.
Children and people who have never smoked should not start vaping. The healthiest option is to use neither cigarettes nor vapes.
For someone who already smokes, the important comparison is vaping against continuing to inhale burnt tobacco. Vapes do not produce the tar or carbon monoxide found in cigarette smoke.
Stick to legal products
The findings relate to regulated nicotine vapes. They do not cover illegal devices, THC liquids, Spice or anything else that happens to be inhaled through an electronic device.
Legal nicotine vapes and e-liquids sold in the UK must meet product rules and be notified to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.
Notified does not mean approved as a medicine. It means the product has gone through the notification process required before it can legally be supplied.
If a device has an enormous tank, an illegal nicotine strength or no proper information about who made it, that is not what this research examined.
The important bit
The review does not promise that buying a vape will automatically stop someone smoking. It shows that nicotine vapes give smokers a better chance than patches or gum.
The kit still needs to suit the person using it. The nicotine needs to be strong enough, the draw needs to feel right and the flavour needs to be something they can live with.
Again, if your first attempt has not worked, do not assume vaping cannot work for you. Bring the kit in or call us on 01253 596106. Most problems are easier to sort than people expect.
The numbers behind the story
- The updated Cochrane review included 90 completed studies involving 29,044 participants. Forty-nine were randomised controlled trials.
- Two studies were new to this update.
- The evidence was searched up to 1 January 2026. The updated review was published on 26 August 2026.
- Seven studies involving 2,544 people directly compared nicotine vapes with nicotine replacement therapy such as patches or gum.
- Nicotine vapes increased quit rates by about 59% compared with nicotine replacement therapy. That works out at around four additional quitters for every 100 people.
- Six studies involving 1,613 people compared nicotine vapes with vapes that contained no nicotine.
- Nicotine vapes produced around three additional quitters for every 100 people compared with vapes without nicotine.
- Eleven studies involving 6,819 people compared nicotine vapes with behavioural support or no support. Nicotine vapes produced around four additional quitters for every 100 people, although the researchers were less certain about this evidence.
- Serious unwanted effects were rare. The review found moderate-certainty evidence that rates were similar when nicotine vapes were compared with nicotine replacement therapy, but longer and larger trials are still needed.
- Blackpool’s average adult smoking rate for 2020 to 2024 was 19.7%. That was the second-highest local authority figure in England, just behind Fenland at 19.8%.
