A man vaping Photo: AFP/ ANP MAG - Koen van Weel
A group representing general practitioners is concerned by officials' decision to fund vaping kits due to the associated health risks.
The government announced on New Year's Eve that it would begin providing the kits to stop smoking services to help people quit, as part of the Smokefree 2025 plan.
Associate Health Minister Casey Costello said the move was to provide smokers with more tools to quit].
"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.
"Those using quit smoking services are four times more likely to successfully stop smoking compared to those who receive no support, and this initiative provides the services with another tool." Costello said.
But General Practitioners Aotearoa is concerned the government is funding the products without robust scientific evidence that they help people quit smoking.
GPA said a study assessing a "vape to quit" initiative reported it had only limited success. Only 16% of participants were both smokefree and vapefree after the programme.
A third of participants gave up smoking for vaping, but most participants were still smoking at the end of the programme.
The report said nicotine-containing e-cigarettes were "popular in all cohorts", which may be part of the problem.
In the study, 22 percent of participants were dual users at the end of the programme, still smoking and vaping as well.
GPA said emerging evidence also indicated vaping poses significant health risks, including lung damage and potential links to lung cancer.
It said research had demonstrated that vaping, even without nicotine, could have immediate negative effects on lung function.
It said a recent study found that vaping reduces oxygen intake, similar to the effects of smoking tobacco.
While long-term studies were ongoing, concerns had been raised about the potential link between vaping and lung cancer.
The group also had concerns about policy development and that officials had adopted positions aligning with tobacco industry interests.
The organisation had called on the government to reassess its funding decisions, consult with healthcare professionals and maintain transparency.
Health NZ spokesperson Deborah Woodley said there had been significant reduction in daily smoking prevalence rates in New Zealand over the past decade.
"Individual behavioural support, nicotine replacement therapy, and this new programme of investment supporting people who smoke with switching to vaping, along with compliance and enforcement, health promotion activities and our existing funded smoking cessation - this collective of actions has positively contributed to this reduction.
"The latest Cochrane Review finds high certainty evidence that nicotine e-cigarettes are more effective than traditional nicotine-replacement therapy (NRT) in helping people quit smoking.
"The majority of Health NZ Funded smoking cessation providers have chosen to take part in offering the vaping starter kits funded by government.
"People who smoke and want to switch to vaping in areas where free vaping devices are not being provided can still access their local provider for support."
GPA said despite its stance on this decision, it was committed to keeping an open mind and supporting evidence-based strategies to reduce smoking prevalence and improve public health.
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