Long before the Smoke-free Environments and Regulated Products (Vaping) Amendment Act 2020 was passed, local consumer groups and activists had urged local authorities to set in place sensible vape regulations. Subsequently the bill which amongst other things banned the sale of vaping products to anyone under the age of 18 years, was set in place. However, while supported by all stakeholders, the bill is sadly not being fully enforced. In fact new reports have indicated a continued rise in teen vaping.
Nancy Loucas, a prominent New Zealand public health consumer advocate and executive coordinator of CAPHRA, said that this lack of enforcement means that retailers are not being held accountable. “If retailers saw other retailers receiving fines of up to $10,000 for selling vaping products to underage youth, you would very quickly see a drop in sales to underage people,” she added.
In light of this, CAPHRA is calling on the Ministry of Health to enforce these provisions and penalize violators where necessary. She said that this would send the strong message that selling the products to minors will not be tolerated, and in turn protect young people from having access to the products.
Existing laws are enough, if enforced
In another release, the groups highlighted that proposed limits on nicotine concentrations in vaping products could backfire. “Many lower-powered vaping devices currently require higher nicotine concentration liquids to effectively deliver nicotine to users, so reducing the legal nicotine limit would disproportionately impact lower-income New Zealanders who cannot afford more advanced devices,” she explained.
Instead of setting nicotine limits, she reiterated, enforcement of existing regulations and educating the public would go a long way. Moreover, added Loucas, the needs of vulnerable smokers need to be taken into account.
Another SCOPE livestream
In other news, CAPHRA hosted a SCOPE Livestream on May 30th and May 31st 2023, in the events of ‘World Vape Day’ and ‘World No Tobacco Day’ respectively. CAPHRA and participating consumer groups called once again for international pressure on the World Health Organization (WHO) to embrace safer nicotine products and tobacco harm reduction.
CAPHRA is urging the WHO member states to recognise the potential of safer nicotine products in reducing the harm caused by tobacco use. The organization believes that tobacco harm reduction should be a key component of global efforts to reduce the burden of tobacco-related disease.
CAPHRA’s SCOPE Livestream was an opportunity to hear from consumer and THR advocacy organizations from around the globe and learn about their experiences with safer nicotine products. The event featured experts in the field who discussed the latest research and policy developments in the lead up to the WHO’s COP10 meeting in Panama. The livestream simulcast made its debut last November covering the WHO FCTC COP9.
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