Cochrane Review Concludes Vapes Help Smokers Quit, but Malaysia Faces Difficult Regulatory Choice
A Cochrane review finds nicotine e-cigarettes help adults quit smoking better than nicotine replacement therapy, as Malaysia weighs tighter vaping rules.Summary
A major Cochrane review of 80 randomized controlled trials involving 29,861 adults found that nicotine e-cigarettes increase long-term quit rates compared with conventional nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). About 10 in 100 people using nicotine e-cigarettes might quit, versus about 6 in 100 using NRT, and the review found no increase in harm. Professor Jacqueline Ho of Cochrane Malaysia stressed the evidence is high-certainty but specific to adult smokers using regulated nicotine e-cigarettes to quit—not children, non-smokers, or illicit products. Malaysia faces a complex policy challenge: it has no nationwide vape ban, vaping is federally regulated under Act 852, and seven states have sales restrictions, while a phased national ban has been proposed. Concerns about youth vaping, illicit products, and contaminated liquids are valid, but the Cochrane evidence suggests regulated nicotine e-cigarettes could be a harm-reduction and cessation tool for adult smokers. Professor Ho compared the idea to controlled medicines, suggesting a tightly regulated medical or cessation-focused model could limit youth access and illegal sales while preserving a quit route for adults. Policymakers must balance protecting youth and enforcing against illegal products with retaining a cessation option for adults who smoke.
(Source：Newswav)
