Lay summary
Two policies in the Smokefree Aotearoa 2025 Action Plan involve decreasing the number of tobacco retailers and only allowing reduced nicotine tobacco to be sold. Therefore, the only legal nicotine available for smokers to manage withdrawal symptoms will be from medicinal nicotine replacement therapy and e-cigarettes (vapes). Over time, people who vape may also wish to stop, given the long-term health effects of vaping remain uncertain, and that not vaping or smoking is ideal from a financial and public health point-of-view. Little evidence exists on the best way to support vapers to move away from e-cigarette use. A large, community-based clinical trial is planned which draws on almost two decades of tobacco and vaping research undertaken by the study team. The trial will test whether cytisine (a medicine that partially blocks the effects of nicotine on the brain) is more effective than nicotine tapering at helping people to stop vaping.