- Tech
-
-
Tech
The gadgets, platforms, and software that make your digital life possible. if it bleeps, clicks or blinks, you’ll find it here.
-
Categories
-
-
Latest
- Report: Google used shell companies to build data centers, obtain tax breaks Sunday 3:38 PM
- Facebook pushes back against moderators complaining about ‘Big Brother’ environment Saturday 12:46 PM
- Twitter hid post from an account linked to Iran’s Supreme Leader Saturday 10:17 AM
- Bug lets Twitter save your DMs—even after you delete them Friday 7:21 PM
- New website will endlessly generate fake faces thanks to AI Friday 3:41 PM
-
-
-
- Internet Culture
-
-
Internet Culture
There’s a community for everyone online.
-
Categories
-
-
Latest
- Man fakes getting stood up at Outback Steakhouse Friday 3:03 PM
- Trump Jr’s meme about his dad’s border wall doesn’t get how Congress works Friday 11:44 AM
- Dudes swallow AirPods in YouTube challenge video no one asked for Thursday 8:22 PM
- People are roasting this woman’s tips for avoiding a ‘manrepeller’ apartment Thursday 3:59 PM
- Valentine’s Day challenge dares you to message your crush Wednesday 2:29 PM
-
-
-
- Streaming
-
-
Streaming
You’ve cut the cord—now what?
-
Categories
-
-
Latest
- Man delighted to find 30-year-old computer still works Sunday 5:32 PM
- Grammy winner Kacey Musgraves spoiled ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 4’ Sunday 2:24 PM
- Don Cheadle made important fashion choices on ‘SNL’ Sunday 9:47 AM
- How to watch ‘Last Week Tonight with John Oliver’ online for free Sunday 6:30 AM
- How to stream Francis Ngannou vs. Cain Velasquez for free Sunday 6:00 AM
-
-
-
- IRL
-
-
IRL
Where your off- and online identities collide.
-
Categories
-
-
Latest
- Conservatives feel vindicated by new developments in Jussie Smollett case (updated) Sunday 12:19 PM
- ‘Hipster’ jobs are trending, and Indeed says the market is booming Saturday 3:33 PM
- Writers want this book canceled for misgendering its protagonist Friday 12:15 PM
- FBI reportedly looking into Ryan Adams’ communications with underage girl Friday 11:25 AM
- Chrissy Teigen throws shade at Logan Paul-Kaitlin Bennett pairing Friday 10:48 AM
-
-
-
- Social
-
-
Social
If it happens online, it’s here.
-
Categories
-
-
Latest
- Man delighted to find 30-year-old computer still works Sunday 5:32 PM
- Report: Google used shell companies to build data centers, obtain tax breaks Sunday 3:38 PM
- Grammy winner Kacey Musgraves spoiled ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 4’ Sunday 2:24 PM
- Conservatives feel vindicated by new developments in Jussie Smollett case (updated) Sunday 12:19 PM
- Don Cheadle made important fashion choices on ‘SNL’ Sunday 9:47 AM
-
-
-
- Bazaar
-
-
Bazaar
The Bazaar specializes in the stuff you don’t actually need…but you really, really want.
-
Categories
-
-
Latest
- Play all your NES games in high def with the Hyperkin RetroN HD Tuesday 8:39 AM
- The Introvert Activity Book is perfect for those who find solace in alone time Monday 11:30 AM
- Essential tips and tools to make your sex life deeper Monday 9:29 AM
- How to watch your favorite classic ’90s anime online Thursday 11:53 AM
- 17 Galentine’s Day gifts to give your favorite ladies Wednesday 10:33 AM
-
-
-
- More
- Search
Represented by Complex Media, Inc. for advertising sales.
Privacy Policy Terms & Conditions Ethics
Latest
- Man delighted to find 30-year-old computer still works Sunday 5:32 PM
- Report: Google used shell companies to build data centers, obtain tax breaks Sunday 3:38 PM
- Grammy winner Kacey Musgraves spoiled ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 4’ Sunday 2:24 PM
- Conservatives feel vindicated by new developments in Jussie Smollett case (updated) Sunday 12:19 PM
- Don Cheadle made important fashion choices on ‘SNL’ Sunday 9:47 AM
- Why the Twitter left loves to dunk on Max Boot Sunday 6:30 AM
- How to watch ‘Last Week Tonight with John Oliver’ online for free Sunday 6:30 AM
- How to stream Francis Ngannou vs. Cain Velasquez for free Sunday 6:00 AM
- How to stream the 2019 Daytona 500 for free Sunday 5:50 AM
- 7-year-old YouTuber to get his own show on Nickelodeon Saturday 5:30 PM
- ‘Hipster’ jobs are trending, and Indeed says the market is booming Saturday 3:33 PM
- Trump meme removed after copyright complaint Saturday 2:15 PM
- Facebook pushes back against moderators complaining about ‘Big Brother’ environment Saturday 12:46 PM
- Twitter hid post from an account linked to Iran’s Supreme Leader Saturday 10:17 AM
- How to stream Leo Santa Cruz vs. Rafael Rivera for free Saturday 8:00 AM
Vaping helps smokers quit, according to new study

Photo via LezinAV/Shutterstock (Licensed)
Researchers looked at survey data of 160,000 people spanning almost 15 years.
Smokers who use e-cigarettes are more likely to quit their nicotine habit than those who don’t, according to a recent study that looked at data spanning nearly 15 years.
Researchers at the University of California San Diego analyzed survey data of 161,054 people, of which 22,548 were current smokers and 2,136 were recent quitters. It concluded e-cigarette users are 25 percent more likely than non-users to attempt to quit smoking, and 3.4 percent more likely to succeed.
“We found that e-cigarette use was associated with an increased smoking cessation rate at the level of subgroup analysis and at the overall population level,” the study reads. “This is the first statistically significant increase observed in population smoking cessation among U.S. adults in nearly a quarter of a century.”
The study found a “substantial increase” in e-cig use was directly linked to a greater number of people who successfully quit smoking, or stopped for at least three months.
“We traced all the way back to 2001, and the surveys get done every three years on average—which means there are five surveys,” Shu-Hong Zhu, professor at the Department of Medicine and Family Health at UCSD told the Daily Dot. “For the first time, the succession rate when up. So I had a suspicion e-cigs might do that.”
The UCSD survey is unique because it analyzes data over time using population studies, specifically the Tobacco Use Supplement to the Current Population Survey. Researchers looked at data from 2014-15 and compared it to the same survey from 2011-12 to find a difference in the succession rate of smokers before and after the e-cig boom. In 2010, only 1.4 percent of the population used e-cigarettes, while 15 to 30 percent were using them by 2014. It discovered the overall population cessation rate in 2014-15 increased 1.1 percent from that in 2010-11. That might not seem like a lot, but it represents 350,000 additional smokers.
The study does have some limitations. Because it uses survey data, researchers did not receive detailed information about each participant, like the type of e-cig used or if they were also taking medication to quit smoking. The authors admit that national ad campaigns against smoking and a tobacco tax in 2009 may also have influenced the results.
Zhu said that while the TIPS from Former Smokers ad campaign in 2012 should be credited for part of the increased succession rate, increased tobacco taxes had a much smaller impact on smokers, “We all know that when you tax something, its use drops, so we all know the tax would have a big effect. There was an impact on kids—as far as the rate of starting smoking—but it turns out it didn’t impact adults. We looked two years after the tax increase, and the overall succession rate didn’t increase.”
The benefits of e-cigarettes have been a point of contention among scientists and users since they hit the market in the early 2000s. Most researchers agree they are a safer alternative to combustible cigarette smoking, but some studies found concerning amounts of cancer-causing chemicals and an increased risk of heart disease. Others argue the overall impact of e-cigs is negative because many people both vape and smoke combustible cigarettes, which lessens their urgency to quit smoking altogether.
The general consensus is that while e-cigarettes are safer than regular cigarettes—a low bar to reach—there are still a number of potential dangers, and more long-term research needs to be conducted.
The uncertainty surrounding the effects of e-cigs is made apparent by the variety of policies across different nations. The United Kingdom, for example, is very open to licensing e-cigs as a cessation aid to smoking. However, countries like the U.S. and Australia limit or ban the sale of e-cigarettes that contain nicotine.
In a move that greatly favors the e-cig industry, the FDA announced Friday that applications for e-cigarettes don’t have to be submitted until 2022, giving the vaping industry almost five years before it will be fully regulated by the FDA.
Zhu says it’s exactly the sort of regulation he and his team of researchers were hoping for. “The proposal we are trying to say is precisely what we want to see from the FDA.”
But more research needs to be done to successfully regulate what he considers a “balancing act.”
“There are a lot of details, like what is the role of flavor,” Zhu said. “A good flavor makes it attractive for adults, but also for kids. So how do you keep the balance—to help the adults, but don’t attract kids. The whole thing is a balancing act.”

Phillip Tracy
Phillip Tracy is a former technology staff writer at the Daily Dot. He's an expert on smartphones, social media trends, and gadgets. He previously reported on IoT and telecom for RCR Wireless News and contributed to NewBay Media magazine. He now writes for Laptop magazine.