September 12, 2023

expert reaction to Cochrane review of most effective ways to quit smoking

A review published in Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews looks at pharmacological and electronic cigarette interventions for smoking cessation in adults.

Prof Caitlin Notley, Professor of Addiction Sciences, Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia (UEA), said:

“Cochrane reviews are the most robust and reliable sources of evidence we have to help inform healthcare decisions. The methods are ‘gold standard’ and transparently reported.

“Pooling together all of the available trials comparing smoking cessation medications with control interventions is a really important way in which we can assess what works to help people quit smoking. This network meta-analysis shows that e cigarettes, varenicline and cytisine are all effective smoking cessation aids. Twice as many people managed to quit smoking using one of these aids compared to control conditions. As varenicline is not currently available in the UK on prescription, and cytisine is not widely available, e-cigarettes are an easily accessible and effective intervention to help people who smoke to quit tobacco completely.”

‘Pharmacological and electronic cigarette interventions for smoking cessation in adults: component network meta-analyses’ by Nicola Lindson et al was published in Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews at 00:01 UK time, Tuesday 12 Sept 2023.

DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD015226.pub2

Declared interests

Caitlin Notley: “I am a Cochrane author myself – I am the lead of the incentives for smoking cessation review and a co-author on the e-cigarettes for smoking cessation review.”