New Zealand E-Cigarette Industry Advocates Call for Crackdown on Sales to Minors

Advocates for New Zealand's electronic cigarette industry have stated that retailers who sell to minors are threatening the industry and must be prosecuted.

Nancy Loucas, co-founder of the Aotearoa Vapers Community Advocacy (AVCA), made the above statement following an episode of the consumer television program, Fair Go. The show conducted a hidden camera investigation, revealing three retailers in a North Island city selling products to children under the age of 18 in Gisborne during a single afternoon.

According to AVCA, only six electronic cigarette shops in the country have received infringement notices in the past two years.

I am pleased that Deputy Secretary of Health Ayesha Verrall and the New Zealand Ministry of Health have committed to conducting more compliance checks and enforcement," said Loucas. "No one wants children to be vaping, so any rogue dairy owners need to quickly dispose of their stock. So far, there have been no prosecutions, and this needs to change immediately.

In June of last year, AVCA publicly called for stronger enforcement. At the time, the organization stated, "Retailers have had enough time to learn right from wrong. I respect the government's initial focus on educating retailers about the new laws, but now it's time to start enforcing them.

The AVCA claims that specialized independent e-cigarette shops are not the main issue. Instead, when convenience stores label a portion of their store as a "specialized e-cigarette shop," it can create problems, allowing them to sell a variety of flavors. AVCA stated in an email to Vapor Voice that this is a cynical move, which may be within the scope of new e-cigarette laws but needs further attention.

The so-called 'vape shops' located at one end of convenience stores in the dairy industry require stricter supervision before being approved, followed by greater enforcement efforts. Overall, the regulations for e-cigarette legislation in 2020 are running well, but preventing youth access remains an ongoing task," said Loucas.

A recent study conducted by the Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) on teenage e-cigarette use has confirmed that only 2% of teenage e-cigarette users purchase them illegally. According to Loucas, the rest obtain them from friends, siblings, or parents.

Currently, the Smoke-free Environments and Regulated Products (Smoked Tobacco) Amendment Bill before Parliament aims to restrict the number of retailers able to sell combustible tobacco by banning sales to individuals born on or after January 1st, 2009.

The AVCA is urging New Zealand to reduce the harm caused by tobacco through support for tobacco harm reduction (THR) methods. Supporters of the bill are encouraged to submit their opinions to the Parliamentary Health Committee before August 24th.

Congress members and officials need to closely monitor the awards and not let a minority of anti-e-cigarette advocates hijack this important smoke-free legislation. Now is not the time to attempt to readjust the country's comprehensive e-cigarette laws, which are set to take effect in 2020. All of this is to address cancer sticks that should have been addressed long ago," said Loucas.

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