E-cigarettes help almost 20,000 people stop smoking: Study

According to a recent study thousands of people have successfully been able to quit smoking by using e-cigarettes.

The researchers from University College London (UCL) and Cancer Research UK, estimated that 18,000 people in England became "long-term ex-smokers" last year as a result of switching to vaping, reports the Indipendent.

They also stated that efforts to quit smoking had stayed the same but e-cigarette use was associated with a greater probability of success.

Researcher Alison Cox said, "Giving up smoking can be really tough. It's important to remember that getting support from stop smoking services is still the most effective way to quit."

Adding, "E-cigarettes can play a role in helping people quit and the evidence so far shows e-cigarettes are much safer than tobacco. This study shows the positive impact they've had on helping people give up the deadly addiction."

More than 100,000 people die every year in the UK as a result of using tobacco, which is the leading preventable cause of cancer.

Some 2.8 million people are now believed to use e-cigarettes.

While they are cited as a feasible option to give up smoking by many, others have expressed concern that non-smokers are also taking up vaping.

One of the researchers, Professor Robert Westsaid, "England is sometimes singled out as being too positive in its attitude to e-cigarettes. This data suggests that our relatively liberal regulation of e-cigarettes is probably justified."

Other experts commenting on the research appeared to agree.

Mike Knapton said, "Nearly one in five adults in the UK smoke, significantly increasing their risk of coronary heart disease."

"Stopping smoking is the single most important step you can take to improve your heart health, and we know that more and more people are turning to e-cigarettes to quit. What's reassuring is this study suggests that rather than undermining people's efforts, using e-cigarettes improves the likelihood of someone quitting," he added.

However he added there was a need to assess the "potential long-term effects" of vaping.