Calls for stronger vape laws

A New Plymouth district councillor is calling for stronger regulation of vape shops, after five retailers in the city were caught selling to minors.

A controlled operation by Te Whatu Ora recently saw five retailers fined $500 for the rule breaking, with two of them being repeat offenders.

Now, councillor Amanda Clinton-Gohdes is calling for better regulation.

‘‘At the moment, neither councils nor health agencies have any legal tools to regulate the location or number of stores selling vaping supplies.

There are dairies and vape stores located next to schools and opposite playgrounds which are selling vaping equipment, and currently there’s nothing we can do about it.’’

Clinton-Gohdes said she was concerned the current version of the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products (Smoked Tobacco) Amendment Bill only regulated ‘‘specialist vape stores’’ and did not regulate other retailers, such as dairies, which sell vaping products.