Auckland University has just conducted the first ever trial to compare electronic cigarettes with nicotine patches, the good news is that the research shows comparable success in helping smokers to quit.

The e-cigarette study, has also been published in The Lancet, one of the world's most respected , oldest and well known medical journals. This research is only the second controlled trial to be published which evaluates e-cigarettes and is the first ever trial to assess whether e-cigarettes are more or less effective than an established smoking cessation aid, nicotine patches, in helping smokers to quit traditional cigarettes.

Comparing the e-cigarettes users to the research group who were using nicotine patches – whose clinical safety has already been established – the researchers found no difference in rates of occurrence of adverse health events overall, and no difference in serious adverse events.

This suggests that e-cigarettes are comparable to nicotine patches in terms of safety, although the authors caution that data from trials with much longer follow up periods will be needed to establish the long-term safety of e-cigarette use.

The research was funded by the Health Research Council of New Zealand. Read more.