The New Zealand government is handing out free vaping starter kits to people wanting to quit smoking.
The kits will include a vape device and one month’s supply of nicotine pods each month over a three-month period.
Announcing the plan, Associate Minister of Health Casey Costello said: “We know more people try and quit over Christmas and New Year and smoking cessation providers are getting more tools to help smokers quit.”
Vapes important tool to help smokers quit
Stop Smoking Services around the country will begin receiving the starter kits from this week. Costello said these “will be free and available to adults who smoke, which will particularly help those who have already tried other options to quit.”
Acknowledging the important role vaping plays in helping smokers to quit, she added: “Vaping has played a key role in reducing smoking rates and the government supports adults switching to vaping because vaping is far less harmful than smoking cigarettes.
“Clients will receive a vape device and one month’s supply of nicotine pods each month over a three-month period with continuing support from a stop smoking service.”
‘Four times more likely to quit smoking’
Costello said that people using quit smoking services are four times more likely to successfully stop smoking compared to those who receive no support. She added: “.. this initiative provides the services with another tool.”
She said New Zealand is a world leader in reducing smoking, but needs to reinvigorate its stop-smoking efforts and target the right people if it’s going to get its smoking rate below five per cent by the end of next year and achieve the goal of being smoke free by the end of 2025.
“The Getting to Smokefree 2025 plan is about providing the tools and resources that encourage more ‘quit smoking’ attempts by more people,” she said.
‘Pulling out all the stops’
“We’re focused on pulling out all the stops to reduce daily smoking rates and to reduce the harm from smoking. Part of that is about reaching the right people with the right messages in the right way.
“We also want to ensure there’s access to a range of effective products and tools. I’m hoping we can provide a new device to providers soon and that the whole health sector works together to encourage referrals to stop smoking providers.”
The move will be supported by a new ‘That’s Us, Smokefree 2025’ marketing campaign. Costello said: “Our message for 2025 is that it’s always worth trying to quit smoking – that tens of thousands of others have managed to do it – and that there are great people ready to help.”
Action for Smokefree 2025 director Ben Youdan said research showed vaping was an effective tool for helping people quit cigarettes for good.
He said: “There’s absolutely no doubt that vaping is substantially less harmful than smoking cigarettes. It’s not completely harm-free, but if you’re a smoker and you switch to vaping, you can massively reduce the risk of getting sick and risk of dying as a consequence of tobacco use.”
Ban on vape advertising and promotion
The latest move comes after New Zealand’s Ministry of Health announced it will ban the advertising and promotion of vapes.
Under the new legislation, vapes and their packaging will no longer be allowed to be on display in general retail shops. This includes advertising and display in online stores and in automated vending machines.
Specialist vape shops must not display the products so they can be seen from outside their business, such as in a window.
These shops (and their online stores) will also no longer be able to give away free vaping products, discount vaping products at retail, offer rewards, cash rebates or gifts for the purchase of vaping products, or offer lotteries or games to people who buy vaping products.
