Strategy to stop youth from vaping

Health Minister Ayesha Verrall will reveal the Government’s strategy to combat youth vaping but has not promised an outright ban on cheap, disposable vapes or making them prescription-only.

Verrall is expected to update vaping regulations today after a three-month consultation, as part of the Government’s efforts to make Aotearoa smokefree by 2025. Vaping can help people stop smoking cigarettes but flavoured e-cigarettes have got young people hooked.

Nearly one in five teenagers vape each day, according to the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation, a trend reflected around the world. ‘‘It is not acceptable,’’ Verrall said. ‘‘We have to get the balance right, making sure vaping is more used as a smoking cessation tool.’’

The Australian Government has banned the importation of vapes except via pharmacies, and introduced other minimum quality standards, including restricting flavours, colours and other ingredients. Verrall would not say if New Zealand would follow suit but said the Government had taken the time to ‘‘get the balance right’’ with vaping regulations.

‘‘We need a vaping policy that reflects New Zealand’s needs, given that we have quite distinct needs in terms of who is affected by smoking.’’

The proposals include making it illegal for new specialist vape retailers to set up shop near schools or sports grounds, and ensuring that all single-use vaping products have replaceable batteries, child safety mechanisms and substance container labelling.

Sir Collin Tukuitonga, Auckland University’s associate dean of public health, said the Government should go further in making vaping less attractive via education and making vapes available at pharmacies only.

In December 2021, Verrall announced a radical and world-leading plan to ban tobacco sales to a generation, as well as to lower the nicotine level in all tobacco products and drastically reduce the number of places that can sell them. Parliament passed the new laws the following December. People born on or after January 1, 2009 – who will be turning 18 in 2027 – will never be able to buy cigarettes, and the legal smoking age will increase every year.

However, this did not include vaping products and retailers. Those would be covered by secondary legislation, Verrall said. The number of places that sell tobacco products will also be whittled down from 6000 to 600.