NZ’s Beehive Debate
New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has confirmed that she intends to push for vaping regulation
-
by Dave Cross
Share on:
“It’s encouraging to hear her sense of urgency and support for vaping as a smoking cessation tool. However, it’s a little alarming to hear that debate still rages inside the Government on the future availability of vape products and to what degree vaping regulations should mirror the country’s zero-tolerance smoking regime,” says Ben Pryor, spokesperson for VTANZ.
“Restricting access to cigarettes should be the primary goal of the Government, not restricting access to a product that has been proven to be the best smoking cessation method ever. If the Government gets too tough on vaping availability and appeal for adult smokers, international examples show it will only result in smoking rates rising and a dangerous unregulated black market emerging,” he says.
Mr Pryor’s comments follow an interview with the Prime Minister on NewstalkZB, where host Mike Hosking asked her when she would move on vaping regulation.
The Prime Minister confirmed the Government was “doing the work as we speak. My understanding is that it’s not too far away… The complexity of course is we have an existing regime for tobacco and the question and the debate exists around how much you have your vaping regime absolutely mirror tobacco, or not. If it’s a device that we want to use for people to quit smoking then you treat it in a particular way, rather than just having it as something that’s widely available and people might take up in its own right. I think our goal should be to help it as a tool to stop smoking not as something people individually take up.”
Despite the Prime Minister unable to confirm whether it would be before Christmas, Associate Health Minister Jenny Salesa is set to introduce the Smoke-free Environments (Vaping) Amendment Bill into Parliament. Ms Salesa has already indicated that the Government will restrict marketing and ban the most successful flavours for adults.
This year the Government launched a ‘vape-to-quit-smoking’ public information campaign, with the Ministry of Health, Health Promotion Agency and many other public health entities continuing to be very supportive of smokers switching to considerably safer vaping.
“We are all for mandatory high safety standards, R18 sales, and against youth marketing. However, if the Government wants to keep driving down smoking rates, it needs to take a closer look at the good work its own Ministry of Health is doing, as well as all the supportive scientific evidence.”
“Here’s hoping that New Zealand’s smokefree ambition is not going to be killed off by some Beehive debate focused more on emotion and the election,” says Ben Pryor.
Related:
- The Vaping Trade Association of New Zealand – [link]
Photo Credit:
Dave Cross
Journalist at POTVDave is a freelance writer; with articles on music, motorbikes, football, pop-science, vaping and tobacco harm reduction in Sounds, Melody Maker, UBG, AWoL, Bike, When Saturday Comes, Vape News Magazine, and syndicated across the Johnston Press group. He was published in an anthology of “Greatest Football Writing”, but still believes this was a mistake. Dave contributes sketches to comedy shows and used to co-host a radio sketch show. He’s worked with numerous vape companies to develop content for their websites.
Join the discussion
Parliament Fears Two
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs faced questions from a Conservative MP and, oddly, a member of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
-
by Dave Cross
Harm Reduction For The Rich
The United Kingdom risks becoming a harm reduction country only for the wealthy, according to Michael Landl of the World Vapers’ Alliance
-
by Dave Cross
Sacrificing Health For 2p Cut
Tory Government alienates vaping voters with its mission to cut tax by an unaffordable 2p to attract voters by placing a tax on vape products in the forthcoming budget
-
by Dave Cross
Scotland Announces Single-Use Vape Action
A ban on the sale and supply of single-use vapes in Scotland is due to come into effect on 1 April 2025, under proposed legislation published today
-
by Dave Cross
