Will e-cigarettes help me quit smoking?

E-cigarettes aren't approved by the FDA as a quit aid.

Studies to test whether e-cigarettes can help people stop using tobacco have had inconsistent results. Limited research suggests that using only e-cigarettes containing nicotine to quit smoking can be effective short term compared with using medicinal nicotine replacements. But there isn't enough evidence comparing the safety and effectiveness of using e-cigarettes to quit smoking and established evidence-based treatments. E-cigarettes might be appropriate only in those unwilling to try evidence-based smoking cessation therapies or who haven't had success with such therapies.

If you use e-cigarettes to quit smoking, remember that your goal is to completely quit using all tobacco products. Also, the dual use of e-cigarettes containing nicotine and traditional cigarettes is strongly discouraged.

If you're looking for help to stop smoking, there are several FDA-approved medications that have been shown to be safe and effective for this purpose. A combination of medication and counseling has been shown to work best.

Because of the unresolved safety concerns and because the research on e-cigarettes as a stop-smoking aid is inconclusive, Mayo Clinic doesn't recommend use of e-cigarettes as a way to quit smoking.

If you want to stop smoking, call 800-QUIT-NOW (800-784-8669) to connect to your state's quit line or call the Mayo Clinic Nicotine Dependence Center at 800-344-5984 (toll-free).