The Thoracic Society is calling on the next government to go further with the current government’s latest e-cigarette policy pledge.
“Regardless of which party takes office come October - as a lung health promotion charity with members who are leading researchers, physicians, nurses, and allied health professionals across New Zealand and Australia, we want to see our leaders do the right thing and tighten e-cigarette controls,” says TSANZ CEO, Vincent So.
“It’s the only way to protect future generations of rangatahi from the harms of e-cigarettes”.
A 2023 New Zealand e-cigarette study showed vapers are just as likely to start smoking tobacco cigarettes as smokers who successfully quit by using e-cigarettes.
“This data highlights that vaping may be a gateway for some young people to start smoking. We cannot see them as a totally harmless way to stop smoking," says TSANZ New Zealand Branch President, Dr James Fingleton.
"It is young New Zealanders who are paying the price for this health policy gap,”
Labour’s promise to cap vaping stores to 600, clamp down on licencing and store-front advertising requirements for would-be retailers, and increase penalties faced by any adult who sells to a minor are a sensible next step says the society.
"The Society congratulates the Health Minister and her health agencies for the work it has done so far to protect more New Zealanders from a life-time of tobacco addiction and other health complications,' says Dr Fingleton.
“What we would like to see next from the incoming government is a promise to refuse re-licencing of vape stores within 300m of schools and marae, and for the existing nicotine limits for both multi-use and disposables to be reduced to 18-20mg/ml.
"Ultimately the only people who should be using vapes are those who are using them to stop smoking.
"Seeing tobacco cigarette use in New Zealand continue to drop is fantastic, and we applaud policy makers for their role in this health win, but it cannot be at the expense of the silent uptake of
e-cigarette addiction.
"New Zealand’s next government needs to plug the holes in the current health policies to protect New Zealander’s lungs both now and into the future."
4 comments
Disgraceful greed
Posted on 27-08-2023 15:26 | By Let's get real
Driving past the closest vape retailer to Tauranga Boys College, I saw a student in uniform exiting the store. Clearly they have no concerns about being caught and there isn't sufficient deterrent to the retailer serving students. I know that there are students using vape products on our school buses, because the drivers can smell the sweet sickly smell, 10 metres away at the front of the buses. These products haven't been on the market for long enough to establish the full extent of the harm that may be being done to our school children. Too many excuses for not dealing with under 18's getting their hands on liquid nicotine.
No vaping.
Posted on 27-08-2023 17:27 | By myview
With vaping the government is allowing a filthy habit to be replaced with yet another with who knows what added ingredients over time.
The same
Posted on 27-08-2023 19:18 | By laugeo
age old issue of youngsters wanting to do things that adults do. You can make it less convenient by having stores moved or closed but they'll simply order what they want online.
The other thing of concern here is where are the cries about underage drinking? Youngsters getting absolutely hammered is apparently ok as the adults around them sanitise this with talks of 'a few cheeky drinks'. If you want to talk about harm, health costs, damage to lives, policing costs, family violence and everything else that goes with alcohol abuse, why is this not deemed the priority now when smoking rates have already been driven down so much?
Wake up New Zealand!
Spot On Laugeo
Posted on 29-08-2023 05:18 | By Thats Nice
Thank you for your comments. Kids WILL experiment and alcohol has/is causing massive problems for all age groups and services.
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