E-Cigarettes vs. pills: which helps smokers quit best?

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: 1. Smokers smoking at least 10 cigarettes/day (factory made or roll-your-own) in the past year 2. Aged 18 to 70 years 3. Motivated to quit defined as a score \> 5 on a visual rating scale ranging from 0 (not motivated at all) to 10 (extremely motivated) 4. Signed written informed consent 5. Understanding and speaking French 6. Women of childbearing age can be included if they use an effective contraceptive method: either hormonal contraception or an intrauterine device started at least one month before the first research visit 7. Individual affiliated to a health insurance system as defined by the sponsor (except Aide Médicale d'État =AME) 8. Previous failure of nicotine replacement therapy for smoking cessation Exclusion Criteria: 1. any unstable disease condition within the last 3 months defined by the investigator as major change in symptoms or treatments such as 1.1.recent myocardial infarction, 1.2.unstable or worsening angina 1.3.severe cardiac arrhythmia 1.4.unstable or uncontrolled arterial hypertension 1.5.recent stroke 1.6.cerebrovascular disease 1.7.obliterative peripheral arterial disease 1.8.cardiac insufficiency 1.9.diabetes 1.10.hyperthyroidism 1.11.pheochromocytoma 1.12.severe hepatic insufficiency 1.13.history of seizures 1.14.severe depression 1.15.chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) 2. any life threatening condition with life-expectancy of less than 3 months 3. alcohol use disorder defined as a score ≥ 10 on the AUDIT-C questionnaire 4. abuse of or dependence on illegal drugs in the last 6 months revealed by the medical history 5. regular use of tobacco products other than cigarettes 6. current or previous (last 6 months) use of electronic cigarette 7. pregnant women 8. breastfeeding women 9. protected adults 10. current or past 3 months participation in another interventional research 11. current or past (last 3 months) use of smoking cessation medication such as varenicline, bupropion, nicotine replacement therapies 12. known lactose intolerance (placebo tablets contain lactose) 13. hypersensitivity to the active substance or to any of the excipients 14. known severe renal failure