Vapers Switch to Cigarettes to Quit E-Cigarettes, Study Finds

A concerning trend has emerged where individuals are switching from vaping back to combustible cigarettes, a reversal of the initial intent for e-cigarettes to serve as a tool for quitting smoking. This shift suggests a potential public health messaging failure regarding the relative harms of vaping and smoking. Research commissioned by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) and conducted by Talbot Mills Research in New Zealand surveyed 623 current smokers and 1,070 former smokers. The findings revealed that 14% of these individuals reported using smoking as a method to quit vaping. In a parallel ASH survey conducted in the United Kingdom involving 940 adults, 19% stated they had attempted to quit vaping by using cigarettes as a cessation aid. This strategy ranked as the second most popular method for quitting vaping among the surveyed population.

Historically, cigarette smoking rates have significantly declined due to decades of public health advocacy highlighting its dangers. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates that by 2025, only 9.1% of American adults were smoking cigarettes, a stark contrast to the 42.4% reported in 1965. Concurrently, approximately 7% of American adults currently engage in vaping. The recent phenomenon of individuals using cigarettes to quit vaping is not indicative of a resurgence in smoking prevalence but rather points to a breakdown in effective public health communication. Experts are warning that this misinformation could lead to significant long-term negative health consequences.

Ben Youdan, Director of ASH, emphasized the severity of this issue in the New Zealand report, stating, "This is not just a trivial misunderstanding. It’s misinformation to the point of significant harm. Public health needs to urgently get back on track with clear, honest communication." This sentiment is echoed by Michael Siegel, a professor of public health and community medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine. Siegel posits that the observed shift is a consequence of an "overcorrection" in public health messaging, where the perceived dangers of vaping have been emphasized to such an extent that it has inadvertently created a pathway for individuals to return to smoking as a means of cessation from e-cigarettes. This complex interplay between evolving nicotine product use and public health guidance underscores the need for updated and accurate information dissemination to protect public health.