A local vape shop owner says the high number of young people vaping in New Zealand is a legacy of the late Labour Government, and its new legislation coming into force will ultimately encourage a new generation of nicotine dependency.
Instead of banning disposable vapes as it intended, he says that from 21 December the disposable vapes simply need to have removable batteries, a child-safety mechanism, and not exceed nicotine levels of 20mg/ml.
He says that means the industry now has clear rules to follow for compliant, disposable vapes which will be rapidly mass-produced to fit the rules. That will make disposable vapes cheaper and they will appeal even more to younger people who will buy them via someone older than 18 who can legally buy them.
However, Nelson MP Rachel Boyack says the Labour government put regulations in place to try and make it harder for young people to pick up and continue vaping through a suite of measures to make vapes less accessible and less attractive to young people.
“When it comes to harm reduction measures for things like vaping and smoking, a constant response is needed. What’s really important is government and opposition parties work together.”
The vape shop owner’s name is withheld as businesses selling vapes face fines up to $200,000 if they advertise or promote vaping, and talking with media could be interpreted as promotional.
He says it has made it difficult for the vape industry to put their side of the story across and says it is frustrating to see what has happened in an industry intended to help people quit smoking and save lives.
He is a former heavy smoker who had life-threatening health issues due to his addiction and says he would not be alive today without vaping to replace smoking cigarettes.
His own success led him to run his own specialist vape business where he could help others quit smoking.
In the past five years, vaping has helped New Zealand drop its smoking rate faster than ever before, but he says poor legislation has encouraged young people to take up vaping and that was not the intention of the industry.
“We’ve got a younger generation getting their hands on an addictive product. I hate seeing kids with vapes, full stop. I absolutely abhor it.
“From someone who wants to see people quit smoking, the last Government has almost created the next generation of smoking with their legislation.”
In his own shop, he blacklists anyone who appears to be buying disposables that might be sold to young people under the legal age of 18.
Until 2020 there were about 600 specialist vape shops around the country.
But within a year of legislation being introduced for the first time, he says there were more than 1,200 new vape shops opening that only needed a separate entrance door to existing businesses selling other goods.
Now, he says, the horse has bolted and young people can readily access vapes and he says it will be a challenge for the new government to change its course, if it decides to try.
He is hoping that this Government will talk to the people at the industry’s coalface who are there to help people quit smoking.
“If I could wave a magic wand, I’d say ban all disposables. Kids can afford $10 on a disposable vape, but the likelihood of them spending $80 to vape on a Saturday night is pretty slim.”
Another legislative change that was brought in last September banned some flavours aimed at young people such as cotton candy and strawberry jelly donut.
Though it was a start, he says the number of flavours that appeal to young people is still huge and the culling of flavours seemed to be random.
While blackcurrant was banned, pineapple, mango, caramel and custard remain which appeal to young vapers.
“It’s like someone sat in an office and they’ve just spun the wheel.”
He would like to see the industry get back to solely helping people quit smoking, but doubts that will happen now.
“The difference between vaping and smoking can be life or death and that’s where the passion lies for me. It’s about those guys like me who would have gone to the grave with a cigarette in their mouth.”
Rachel says she has no doubt that in the coming years, more restrictions will be needed.
“It happens, you have a product that’s been popular, you put regulation in place so consumption comes down and another product comes along.”
