Taranaki Health Officials Urge Compliance with E-cigarette Regulations

Public health officials in the city of Taranaki are urging retailers to abide by electronic cigarette regulations following the discovery of five shops selling these products to minors. In September, Te Whatu Ora, New Zealand’s national public health service, conducted controlled purchasing operations among 16 retailers in Taranaki.

Tararua smoke-free enforcement officer Carly Stevenson has stated that five retailers have violated the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Act by selling e-cigarette products to a child under the age of 18. Stevenson stated, "This is the second time, since July 1, 2022, that two of the five retailers who sell products to minors have failed to pass CPO.

Each time a retailer violates regulations, they are referred to the Ministry of Health, which issues a notice of infringement and fines them 500 New Zealand dollars. Retailers who violate the regulations for the third time may face prosecution. The five retailers that failed to comply with regulations in September were Vogeltown Vape Lounge, Sweet Temptations, Nolantown Dairy, Sunshine Dairy's Vape2Go, and High Street Vape.

Steven Stevenson stated that as part of the CPO, a total of 56 e-cigarette retail stores in Taranaaki have been inspected since July. "The Ministry of Health appreciates retailers who continue to abide by regulations. For those retailers who ignore regulations, obtaining information is straightforward.

We will continue to enforce these regulations and will continue to submit you to the Health Department in order to take further action.

Electronic cigarettes are designed for smokers. Young people and non-smokers should not use them. Most electronic cigarette products contain nicotine, which can lead to addiction, causing people to become addicted to vaping.

For smokers, switching to e-cigarettes is less harmful than continuing to smoke, as smoking is damaging to one's health.

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