A large number of professional e-cigarette retailers in Tairāwhiti have left a resident feeling "uneasy" due to the easy availability of these products in the region.
There are eight professional electronic cigarette retailers along the main street Gladstone Rd, usually located several hundred meters apart, which is causing concern for Jordan Walker.
According to data from the Ministry of Health, this region has the highest number of licensed retail shops per capita compared to other areas, with five e-cigarette shops operating for every ten thousand people.
In Auckland, there are two professional electronic cigarette retailers for every 10,000 people, while in Wellington there are only about 1.3 per 10,000 people. According to Walker, this is a "systemic problem" and likened it to the proliferation of alcohol stores in poverty-stricken areas.
They are particularly concerned about the impact on rangatahi Māori after middle-aged students were found vaping near the town's wharf.
Walker is also a candidate for an ordinary constituency and he hopes to strengthen the enforcement and inspection of convenience stores in order to prevent young people from entering.
According to Sally Stewart, Manager of the Policy and Regulation Team at the Ministry of Health, the position is to provide electronic cigarette products to support smokers in transitioning to less harmful alternative products and to support them in quitting smoking.
She stated, "This is about balancing regulation and control to protect children and young people from exposure and use of electronic cigarette products." She quoted the bans on selling and advertising to those under 18, as well as the prohibition of e-cigarette use in smoke-free areas.
She said that without a policy to limit the number of e-cigarette stores based on population, the department's discretion is limited when considering applications from professional e-cigarette retailers.
A spokesperson for Whatu Ora Health New Zealand stated that it is not surprising that there are a limited number of professional e-cigarette retailers in Tairāwhiti due to this.
Over the years, this phenomenon has been decreasing, they say it may be partly attributed to smokers shifting to using e-cigarettes.
For the people of Tairāwhiti, the fewer smokers, the better. We are concerned about the increasing number of young people who are using electronic cigarettes, and are currently conducting a study in local schools to gather data on e-cigarette use among this age group.
Earlier this year, the Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) Members' Committee passed a resolution calling on the government to restrict the retail supply of e-cigarettes to specialty stores, including proximity restrictions. This is due to the increasing number of young people who are starting to use e-cigarettes.
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