‘Vaping’ rules necessary
mouth is also an extraordinary ritual. Welcome to the world of ‘‘vaping’’.
Some smokers swear by the supposed health merits of vaping and nicotine e-cigarettes compared with the real thing. They say they are not only a good replacement, but actually help in weaning them off the smoking habit and in getting over nicotine addiction.
Such conclusions remain purely subjective at this stage.
But if ‘‘experienced’’ cigarette smokers believe vaping can help them kick the tobacco habit, it is well worth clarifying and liberalising the current, confused regulations – albeit with certain restrictions – to make e-cigarettes and vaping products legally available for sale in New Zealand.
At present, this lack of clarity is why laws around e-cigarettes are not routinely enforced.
The sale and supply of nicotine e-cigarettes is prohibited yet tobacco, which is widely believed to be more dangerous, is legal. This is why Associate Minister of Health Peseta Sam Lotu-iiga has been consulting publicly over electronic cigarettes, although notably the proposed policy changes do not include what premises should be selling them.
Too many New Zealanders remain slaves to the tobacco companies. About 16.1 per cent of men and 13.9 per cent of women smoke daily, but most alarming is that 40 per cent of Maori women, and 30.5 per cent of Maori men, smoke each day.
University of Otago researchers, however, say there are good reasons to only sell e-cigarettes and products in specialist vaping shops and pharmacies.
Their view is a regulated retail environment should be established for the sale of any ‘‘addictive’’ substances – and pharmacy-only rules might help remove impressions that e-cigarettes are a recreational drug suitable for young people to experiment with.
We support the Government’s move to implement clearer and more liberal rules around e-cigarettes, especially in light of the fact some believe they are beneficial for kicking smoking.
But we do not want to see these products sold widely in dairies and supermarkets, allowing vaping to become a ‘‘cool’’ option for young people to try and a gateway to other more dangerous drugs or even cigarettes themselves.