Understanding Role of Nicotine Vaping Products in Smoking Cessation: A Qualitative Study

The aim of this qualitative research is to gain insights into people’s experiences using nicotine vaping products (NVPs) for smoking cessation, and insights into subsequent cessation of NVP use. These insights will be used to further understand the cessation trajectory of smokers who use NVPs as a quitting aid, and to help guide the development of a text message intervention aimed at increasing smoking cessation among those using NVPs, and to assist with switching away from continued NVP use once smoking cessation has been achieved. There is currently a lack of research in this specific area of smoking cessation, and this study aims to enrich knowledge in this area. UNSW, NDARC’s Tobacco Research Group (TRG) have successfully built and implemented a tailored text message program for smoking cessation (HC210410). The text message program uses messaging based on a behavioural change model, and some messages are tailored to individual smokers’ quitting goals. The program uses pre-written messages, a virtual “Quit Buddy” called Lou and contains links to other resources. Additionally, there is an interactive option for people who want additional text-message support. This research aims to build upon this existing text message program to specifically target support for smokers using NVPs to quit smoking, and also assist former smokers with continued vape use to switch to a smoke-free and vape-free status. Participants from a previous quit smoking clinical trial who have experience using NVPs for smoking cessation and have reached different points in their quit journey will be asked to participate in this qualitative project. The study will use in-depth interviews, approximately one hour in duration, to explore the barriers and facilitators of quitting smoking using NVPs and gain insight into how ex-smokers switch away from NVP use. These insights will be further explored and built upon in focus group sessions (approximately 90 minutes in duration), which will allow participants to share their ideas for a text message program that helps smokers quit both tobacco smoking and vaping. This can include changes to the existing types of messages, message style, how specific or tailored they are and other features.