New Zealand to Expand Free Vape Kit Program for Smokers

Health New Zealand is planning to purchase more vaping devices, potentially in the thousands, to distribute to individuals attempting to quit smoking, an expansion of a pilot program that has been running since the beginning of the year. The government health agency has issued a request for quotes (RFQ) to the vaping industry, seeking flavored vape kits and highlighting the “significant opportunity” for the successful bidder, including potential public relations gains such as enhancing their “profile and credibility as a trusted partner in the regulated vaping market.”

Since January, Health NZ has been providing vapes to 29 stop-smoking programs nationwide. Between January and July, 4,326 people were confirmed to have quit smoking within four weeks, with just over 1,400 of them (roughly 33%) having received one of the 3,000 vaping kits distributed. Health NZ’s Saskia Booneman stated the pilot’s outcomes have provided the confidence to continue, viewing vaping as an “additional option to support smoking cessation” alongside traditional nicotine replacement therapies like gum and patches.

The new tender seeks vapes with removable, nicotine-filled pods in menthol, cinnamon, and blueberry flavors, with strengths up to New Zealand’s legal maximum of 28.5mg/ml. Health NZ will not accept quotes from providers with connections to the tobacco industry and requires that patients be properly assessed and informed that vapes are not an approved stop-smoking medicine.

• News source: Health NZ seeking to give more vaping kits to smokers wanting to quit, talks up PR benefits to suppliers

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Matthew Ma

Marketing at Ecigator

With over a decade of experience in the e-cigarette industry, Matthew Ma is a seasoned expert in both the manufacturing and usage aspects of vaping products. His extensive background has provided him with a deep understanding of the intricacies and evolving dynamics of e-cigarettes.

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