Bmc Public Health
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Multicenter Study Clinical Trial
Multicentric cohort study on the long-term efficacy and safety of electronic cigarettes: study design and methodology.
While electronic cigarettes are forbidden in several countries, their sales are exploding in many others. Although e-cigarettes have been proposed as long-term substitutes for traditional smoking or as a tool for smoking cessation, very scarce data are available on their efficacy and safety.We describe the protocol of a 5-year multicentric prospective study aimed to evaluate short- and long-term adherence to e-cigarette smoking and the efficacy of e-cigarettes in reducing and/or quitting traditional cigarette smoking. The study will also compare the health effects of electronic vs traditional vs mixed cigarette smoking. ⋯ Data on long-term efficacy and safety of e-cigarettes will be of utmost importance to form the basis for guidelines and regulatory decisions on e-cigarettes.