Vaporized Nicotine Products for Smoking Cessation Among People Experiencing Social Disadvantage

BACKGROUND: Vaporized nicotine products (VNPs) are more effective than nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) for smoking cessation in general populations, but their effectiveness among low socioeconomic groups is largely unknown. OBJECTIVE: To examine whether VNPs are more effective than NRT for smoking cessation among people experiencing social disadvantage. DESIGN: Two-group, open-label, randomized trial with blinded outcome ascertainment. (Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12621000076875). SETTING: Australia, between March 2021 and December 2022. PARTICIPANTS: 1045 adults who smoked daily, were willing to quit smoking, and were receiving a government pension/allowance (proxy for social disadvantage). INTERVENTION: Participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to either a free 8-week supply of NRT or VNPs, and all participants received text-message support. MEASUREMENTS: The primary outcome was 6-month continuous smoking abstinence verified using a carbon monoxide breath test at 7-month follow-up. Analysis included randomly assigned participants in accordance with Russell Standard criteria and the intention-to-treat principle. RESULTS: < 0.001). LIMITATIONS: Biochemical verification method tested short-term exposure to cigarette smoke. CONCLUSION: Findings indicate that VNPs were more effective than NRT for smoking cessation in this population. Given the challenges for cessation among these socially disadvantaged populations, VNPs present a promising treatment option for this priority group. PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE: Australian National Health and Medical Research Council.