WELLINGTON: New Zealand will crack down on vaping to help protect its young people, Health Minister Ayesha Verrall announced on Tuesday, reported German news agency (dpa).
Disposable e-cigarettes will be banned from August, with only vapes with removable or replaceable batteries allowed to be sold.
Vapes will need child safety mechanisms, and “potentially enticing” names like “cotton candy” or “strawberry jelly donut” will be banned, Verrall said. Only generic names which accurately describe the flavours can be used such as “berry”.
“Too many young people are vaping, which is why we’re taking action to stop that,” Verrall said.
The government will not allow new shops selling vapes to be established within 300 m of schools or marae.
“We recognise we need to strike a balance between preventing young people from starting to vape, and at the same time, having vapes available as a cessation tool for those who genuinely want to give up smoking.”
Verrall said vaping played an important role in reducing the number of smokers in the country.
“New Zealand’s smoking rate is half the rate of what it was 10 years ago, with the number of people smoking falling by 56,000 in the past year,” she said.
“We’re creating a future where tobacco products are no longer addictive, appealing or as readily available, and the same needs to apply to vaping.”
In May, Australia banned recreational vaping and the import of vapes that were not destined for pharmacy shelves. The country also ditched single-use, disposable vapes and placed restrictions on the packaging, flavours and colours available. – BERNAMA-dpa
