Today’s statistics show that in America, about 12 percent of adults are still cigarette smokers.  Meanwhile, about one in 20 Americans consider themselves daily vapers, although that number is increasing by the month due to the enormous success of this amazing technology.  And, quite interestingly, as the number of vapers in America increases, the number of smokers decreases.

It can’t be denied that because of vaping, a massive amount of adults in the United States have been able to kick their cigarette habit for good.  Still, major health organizations in our country don’t seem to credit vaping with being a smoking cessation method.  The American Lung Association, for instance, continues to advocate for the use of nicotine gum and nicotine patches, with no mention of e-cigarettes to be found.

Even more complicated is the FDA’s relationship with vaping.  Despite the fact that many people continue to use vaping as a way to stop smoking, the FDA doesn’t acknowledge the industry as one aimed to help people quit tobacco.  As a result, the FDA isn’t making it easy for the vaping industry to survive.

Now, a study aims to set the record straight about vaping’s usefulness as a smoking cessation tool.  The Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) study has determined that vaping can indeed help people get off of cigarette tobacco for good.

Can Vaping Truly Serve as a Smoking Cessation Tool?

The PATH study was motivated by an urgency to determine whether or not vaping can address the public health crisis that is smoking.  Smoking, as we all know, is a potentially deadly habit that claims the lives of many each year.  If vaping can truly get people off of smoking, it should be celebrated rather than scrutinized in America.

The study gathered data from vapers over the course of two years.  The participants began being studied when they officially switched from being full-time smokers to full-time vapers.  It’s worth noting that 78 percent of the participants had never vaped before, while the others had, at least once, tried e-cigarettes.  However, of that remaining 22 percent, none of them had ever attempted to quit smoking, but rather used e-cigarettes alongside traditional cigarettes.

Based on the data gathered, the study concluded that vaping upon quitting smoking makes a person 77 percent more likely to stay off of cigarettes for good.  The study noted that those who vape daily upon quitting are far more likely to make it past a year off of cigarette tobacco, which essentially means that users should treat e-cigarettes like conventional cigarettes in terms of how frequently they use them.

Anyone who has successfully switched to vaping after having been a smoker shouldn’t be surprised by this data.  Vaping is extremely unique as a smoking cessation method in that it doesn’t just provide the user with a controlled amount of nicotine.  E-cigarettes are designed to provide the user with a physical experience that’s just like smoking.  The simple act of pulling on a mouthpiece, inhaling vapor and blowing that vapor back out helps us reproduce the experience of puffing on a real cigarette, and, as we now know, the physical act of smoking can be just as addictive as the nicotine itself.

Why the PATH Study is So Important to the Vaping Industry

In countries like England and France, government-funded studies have led to vape-friendly legislation that makes this technology extremely accessible to former smokers.  But, in the United States, things aren’t as simple.  The FDA is not exactly thrilled about the success of the vaping industry, which means that it could be subjected to harsh regulations at any time.

Studies like these are crucial because they show these organizations science-backed data about vaping.  If the national goal is to get people off of cigarettes, the vaping industry should be celebrated.  And, as more and more studies like these come out, the FDA and other organizations will have no choice but to acknowledge the truth about this technology.

This is why studies like this one make a huge difference.  Over the last couple of years, we’ve seen numerous pro-vaping studies come out in the United States.  As time goes on, we anticipate that we’re going to see a whole lot more.

A Real Positive Impact on Our Industry

Because of this new study, Americans can feel more confident than ever before that their vaping hobby is helping them stay off of cigarettes.  This data is incredibly useful to Americans who are addicted to tobacco, and it’s also incredibly helpful to the vaping industry that is still subjected to much scrutiny from major health organizations.  We hope that more studies come out in the following years to demonstrate that vaping can indeed be used to help a person stop smoking for good.