Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
To Help Smokers Kick The Habit, Money Outperforms E-Cigs, Nicotine Patches
Los Angeles Times: To Get Smokers To Quit, Money Works Better Than Electronic Cigarettes
When it comes to helping smokers quit, financial rewards are much more effective than electronic cigarettes. But the sad truth is that nothing works all that well, according to the results of a large clinical trial that tested five smoking-cessation strategies in real-world conditions. Out of 6,006 smokers who enrolled in the trial, only 80 could provide biochemical evidence that they were smoke-free six months after their quit dates. That's a success rate of just 1.3%. (Kaplan, 5/23)
The Associated Press: E-Cigarettes Disappoint In A Workplace Quit-Smoking Study
In a large study of company wellness programs, free electronic cigarettes did not help smokers quit more than usual methods such as nicotine patches. The only thing that really worked was offering them money to kick the habit. E-cigarettes are battery-powered devices that vaporize nicotine. It's not known whether they can help smokers quit. (5/23)
