Associate Minister of Health Jenny Salesa said that this measure would be part of a vaping legislation which will be introduced to Parliament shortly. “The legislation that I’m about to introduce to the house will ban most flavours – I will be allowing at the moment at least three flavours which will include tobacco, menthol and mint.”
“A big reason New Zealanders are successfully quitting cigarettes is because vaping in its current form is a very effective smoking cessation tool. Getting rid of most flavours will simply mean more people stick with smoking and ultimately more will die.”
However, in line with arguments by public health experts, Alt New Zealand and Vapo owner Ben Pryor, explained that such a ban would prove detrimental to former smokers seeking to quit with the help of the devices. “Limiting vaping flavours will only make it harder for those wanting to quit tobacco and its killer consequences. That would be a very poor ‘wellbeing’ outcome for this Government.”
Pryor added that this move seems to be influenced by the latest events in the US. “Banning most vaping flavours is like banning flavours in low-calorie drinks and food. It makes no sense whatsoever and won’t help anyone. News from our Associate Health Minister that possibly only three vaping flavours will be allowed is a knee-jerk reaction to completely unrelated media stories in the US. Those issues are mostly about illegal and dangerous street substances, yet the poor old Kiwi smoker hoping to quit may be about to get hammered.”
A flavour ban risks reversing the decreasing smoking rates
He also expressed his fear that the record breaking smoking rates that New Zealand has reached so far, will start reversing if flavours are banned. “The big reason our smoking rates have fallen is because tens of thousands of Kiwis smokers are now vapers, and are much healthier for it. Limiting vaping flavours will only make it harder for those wanting to quit tobacco and its killer consequences. That would be a very poor ‘wellbeing’ outcome for this Government,” he says.
“A big reason New Zealanders are successfully quitting cigarettes is because vaping in its current form is a very effective smoking cessation tool. Getting rid of most flavours will simply mean more people stick with smoking and ultimately more will die,” he added.
Current advertising regulations to be revised
Meanwhile, Salesa pointed out that this new legislation will also revise current advertising laws. “Similar to tobacco, we will ban advertising, social media, all of that is not going to be allowed under the new legislation,” she said. “Discounts, two for one, all of that will not be allowed.
