Does reduced smoking if you can’t stop make any difference?

BMC Medicine

Opinion

Paul Aveyard¹  Rachna Begh¹  Nicola Lindson-Hawley¹ 

[1] UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies, Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK;

关键词: Harm reduction;    Nicotine;    Smoking;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12916-015-0505-2

 received in 2015-07-07, accepted in 2015-09-17,  发布年份 2015

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundPromoting and supporting smoking reduction in smokers with no immediate intention of stopping smoking is controversial given existing fears that this will deter cessation and that reduction itself may not improve health outcomes.DiscussionEvidence shows that smokers who reduce the number of daily cigarettes smoked are more likely to attempt and actually achieve smoking cessation. Further, clinical trials have shown that nicotine replacement therapy benefits both reduction and cessation. Worldwide data suggests that ‘non-medical’ nicotine is more attractive to people who smoke, with electronic cigarettes now being widely used. Nevertheless, only one small trial has examined the use of electronic cigarettes to promote reduction, with direct evidence remaining inconclusive. It has been suggested that long-term reduced smoking may directly benefit health, although the benefits are small compared with cessation.SummaryThe combined data imply that smoking reduction is a promising intervention, particularly when supported by clean nicotine; however, the benefits are only observed when it leads to permanent cessation.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© Begh et al. 2015