Smokers sought for cessation trial in Lakes DHB area

More than 2000 smokers in the Lakes DHB area will have the chance to give up for free as part of a new trial of stop-smoking aids.

The trial comparing the effectiveness of two similar medicines that help people to stop smoking is a collaboration between the University of Auckland, Brunel University London, and Lakes DHB, with support from Tipu Ora, funded by the Health Research Council of New Zealand.

The researchers are looking for 2140 people who smoke cigarettes every day, identify as Māori or whānau of Māori, want to quit smoking in the next two weeks, are aged 18 or over, not pregnant and live in the Lakes DHB region. They must have daily access to a mobile phone that can text and/or email and have access to the internet via smartphone or computer. Only one person per household will be accepted.

Participants must have tried but failed to quit smoking using other quit-smoking medicines – such as nicotine patches or gum, Zyban, or Norpress – and must have not used Tabex or Champix in the past 12 months.

The RAUORA study compares two similar medicines, known by their brand names Tabex and Champix, to establish their efficacy in helping people to stop smoking cigarettes.

Tabex and Champix help people to quit by reducing the severity of nicotine withdrawal symptoms and also the feelings of reward that people get from smoking.

What wasn’t known was whether one medicine is better than the other, or whether they are equally good at helping people give up.

Wetini Paul, a member of the Rotorua-based research team, said researchers wanted to see which drug worked better.

Tabex has been used for more than 40 years in Central and Eastern Europe but is not approved or registered in New Zealand as a smoking cessation treatment, so is not easily available.

Tabex contains cytisine, which is obtained from a plant called the Golden Rain. Cytisine is also found in several New Zealand plants, including the kōwhai.

Mr Paul said anyone who had been thinking of quitting smoking should volunteer to take part.

“The whole idea of this is for the principles we hold as Māori,” he said.

“Māori health statistics don’t reflect very well, so in order to quit smoking, that would provide a great boost in those statistics.”

There were also financial benefits to giving up smoking, which should encourage people to take part in the study as well, Mr Paul said.

He hoped to get approval for the use of cytisine in New Zealand if the trial showed it worked.

“It would mean we’re able to utilise what basically grows naturally here,” he said.

Mr Paul hoped the trial helped Tabex gain approval so those looking to stop smoking in New Zealand had more options.

“All our participants will be randomised into one of two groups, Tabex and Champix. We will also be offering behavioural support.”

The researchers would offer a set amount of support, whether it be group sessions, individual sessions or over the phone support, Mr Paul said.

Anyone meeting the criteria can contact the researchers on freephone 0800 367 644, free text: ‘your name’ + ‘RAUORA’ to 4073, email: [email protected] or through Facebook: @RAUORAtrial.

More information can be found at https://rauora.nihi.auckland.ac.nz.

2 COMMENTS

    • Thanks for your query Moea. I contacted the trial team who said they are still seeking participants as of January 26 2018. They say applicants can still contact them through the above website and email address which are regularly monitored.
      Editor

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