Have cigarettes finally met their match? New research from the Oklahoma Tobacco Research Center at the Stephenson Cancer Center demonstrates that the newest generation of e-cigarettes may be a powerful tool in quitting tobacco.

Published in the international journal, Tobacco Control, this research shows that the newest generation of high-powered e-cigarettes is able to deliver nicotine just like a cigarette, but with much lower levels of cancer-causing agents and no carbon monoxide.

Theodore Wagener, PhD, assistant professor of pediatrics and associate director of training for the Oklahoma Tobacco Research Center and a TSET Research Scholar, serves as lead author of the study.

“This is important for several reasons,” said Dr. Wagener. “E-cigarettes will only be successful in helping a large portion of smokers quit smoking if they deliver nicotine with the same speed and in the same amounts as cigarettes.”

Wagener explains that early e-cigarette models that looked like cigarettes demonstrated poor nicotine delivery, and most users found them unhelpful when they attempted to quit smoking.

However, these newer high-powered devices match the speed and amount of nicotine delivered by a cigarette that should make it easier for users to successfully switch to e-cigarettes.

“Cigarette smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death. This is important and promising news for those of us hoping for a viable, less harmful market alternative to help end the cigarette epidemic,” said Wagener.

The findings may also have less promising implications as these high-powered e-cigarettes are unlikely to help people end their addiction to nicotine overall.

“Since these devices match the nicotine delivery capabilities of a cigarette, it is almost certain that they will have a similar addiction potential and not help people end their addiction to nicotine.”

Wagener also stated that these findings are very timely as the current FDA regulations may eventually ban most of these devices, which will leave only inferior e-cigarette devices with poor nicotine delivery and less viability as smoking cessation aids on the market. “I hope that the FDA pays attention to these findings and makes regulatory decisions based on the best scientific evidence.”

Two National Institutes of Health grants and the Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust fund much of Wagener’s research. His most recently awarded National Cancer Institute R01 grant will investigate the use and health impacts of older versus newer models of e-cigarettes. He hopes that the study will provided evidence that will empower the FDA and other regulators to make an informed decision about e-cigarette regulations to best protect the public’s health.