Why Anecdotal Evidence Proves that Electronic Cigarettes ARE Helpful for Smoking Cessation

One of the widest scientific misconceptions about evaluating the effectiveness of electronic cigarettes for smoking cessation - and one promulgated by anti-vaping groups and health agencies like the CDC and FDA - is that anecdotal evidence is insufficient to demonstrate that electronic cigarettes can be effective in helping smokers to quit smoking. In fact, this is a widespread fallacy. The truth is that the abundant anecdotal evidence of e-cigarettes helping many smokers quit is actually sufficient evidence to conclude that e-cigarettes are helping many smokers quit.How can this be the case? Haven't we all been taught that anecdotal evidence is not sufficient? Aren't more rigorous research designs necessary to draw a conclusion that e-cigarettes can help some smokers quit? Since anecdotal evidence that a drug helps improve a medical condition among some patients cannot be used to conclude that the drug is an effective treatment, how can anecdotal evidence that many smokers have quit using e-cigarettes be used to conclude that e-cigarettes are effective for smoking cessation for many smokers?The Rest of the StoryTo understand this, we need to consider exactly why it is that anecdotal evidence is not sufficient to conclude that a drug is effective. Suppose a person with high blood pressure takes a medication for a week and her diastolic blood pressure is lower by 5 after one week (say it drops from 130/95 to 130/90). There are basically three possibilities that could explain t...
Source: The Rest of the Story: Tobacco News Analysis and Commentary - Category: Addiction Source Type: blogs