Trust gives up helping people quit smoking over refusal to promote vaping

Wellington's main stop smoking service is quitting because it says it won't promote vaping as an alternative to keep its government funding.

After more than 30 years helping people become smoke free, Takiri Mai Te Ata Trust told Checpoint it's impossible to keep delivering services in a way that aligns with its tikanga, values and responsibilities to its community.

Health NZ and the trust have now parted ways.

However, Action for Smokefree 2025 does support people vaping as a means to quit smoking and said it had seen many success stories.

Regional manager for the trust's stop smoking service, Catherine Manning, said from the get-go, it had been "very clear" that it had no interest and didn't support further addicting the people it helped by encouraging vaping.

Manning said the goal back in 2011, when an inquiry into tobacco control was done, was to stop the harm smoking caused to Māori.

"We've always aligned to that."

Providing smokers trying to quit with vapes sent a message that they wanted them to stop smoking - but had no problem with addicting them to something else.

It was "absolutely not" the best option, she said.

Manning said people were becoming addicted to vapes at "astronomical levels", even in schools.

"These products are addicting our kids and that's not OK."

Evidence she had seen showed "devastating harm" from vaping, Manning said.

Vaping not risk free but 'dramatically' reduces risk of death

Action for Smokefree 2025 director Ben Youdan told Checkpoint he was aware of high quality evidence which showed vaping was effective for people wanting to quit smoking.

The ultimate goal once a person had stopped smoking was then to transition them off vaping.

While it could be addictive, Youdan said smoking and vaping were not equal addictions.

It was not risk free but "dramatically" reduced the risk of death from nicotine, he said.

Youdan said he recognised the views of Takiri Mai Te Ata Trust and its concern for the people it helped, but a "number" of services working with Māori told them a different story, having had real success with using vaping to get people to quit smoking.

In a statement, Health NZ said it had worked extensively with the trust to explore options for it to continue its work without directly supplying vapes.

An agreement couldn't be reached so the contract was ended by mutual agreement.

Health NZ said for people who smoke, vaping was less harmful but said people who don't smoke shouldn't vape.