Gold-Standard Cochrane Review Confirms: Nicotine Vaping Helps More Smokers Quit Than Traditional Nicotine Replacement Therapy

The Canadian Vaping Association calls on Health Canada to align with the world's most rigorous scientific evidence and better inform smokers that vaping is a less harmful alternative that can help them quit

Ottawa, ON, Aug. 31, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Canadian Vaping Association welcomed the latest update of the Cochrane living systematic review on electronic cigarettes for smoking cessation, which concludes with high-certainty evidence that nicotine vaping products help more people quit smoking than conventional nicotine replacement therapies (NRT) such as patches and gum. 

“Nearly 46,000 Canadians die from smoking-related illness every year, and every one of those deaths is preventable,” said Sam Tam, President of the Canadian Vaping Association. “Adult smokers deserve accurate information about less harmful alternatives, and policy should be proportionate to relative risk. That is why the CVA is recommending that Health Canada include vaping harm reduction messaging on cigarette packaging, so Canadians who smoke know there are other proven ways to quit.” 

Cochrane is widely regarded as the gold standard for systematic reviews and meta-analyses of healthcare evidence. Its living review draws on 80 randomized controlled trials involving nearly 30,000 participants and is continuously updated as new research is published. High-certainty evidence is Cochrane's strongest rating, reserved for findings unlikely to change with further study. Short-term side effects reported were mild and temporary and faded with continued use. Serious adverse events were rare across every study group, and adverse event rates were similar between nicotine vapes and NRT. Researchers noted that longer-term data beyond two years is still developing, which is a call for continued research.   

 The CVA believes the Cochrane findings carry clear implications for Canadian policy. Adult smokers should have access to accurate, evidence-based information about the relative risks of vaping compared to smoking. Regulations including proposed flavour restrictions, disposable bans, and taxation should be evaluated against their impact on adult smokers seeking to quit, not only on youth prevention goals. At the same time, youth access must continue to be strictly enforced, as the CVA has consistently advocated. The Cochrane findings concern adult smoking cessation and do not diminish the importance of keeping vaping products out of the hands of minors. 

“We have to strike a balance,” added Sam Tam. “Canadians who cannot successfully quit smoking with nicotine replacement therapy need to know that vaping is an alternative harm reduction tool that can help them quit. Withholding that information does not protect anyone, it keeps people smoking.” 

The CVA urges Health Canada and provincial governments to review the Cochrane findings and engage with stakeholders on a regulatory framework that maximizes the public health opportunity of tobacco harm reduction while safeguarding youth. 

The full review, “Electronic cigarettes for smoking cessation,” is available from the Cochrane Library. 
Source: Lindson N, et al. "Electronic cigarettes for smoking cessation." Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2026. cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD010216.pub11 

About the Canadian Vaping Association
The Canadian Vaping Association is a national, not-for-profit organization representing the legal, compliant vaping industry in Canada. The CVA advocates for reasonable and effective regulation of the vaping sector, recognizing vaping's role in harm reduction for adult smokers, with youth protection through education and prevention as a key pillar of its mandate. For up-to-date information on the Canadian vaping industry and the latest on tobacco harm reduction, follow the CVA on X at @thecvaofficial 

Sam Tam
The Canadian Vaping Association 
stam@thecva.org

Ashley Bouman
The Canadian Vaping Association 
abouman@thecva.org