Inquiry sought into e-cigarettes

The New Zealand Vaping Alliance (NZVA) has called on the government to hold an inquiry into electronic cigarettes and vaping ‘to clear the air on products that provide smokers with a 95 percent safer option’.

“With the government saying that they are waiting on more advice about e-cigarettes, NZVA suggests New Zealand take learnings from the United Kingdom’s Public Health England E-cigarettes: An Evidence Update, and the Royal College of Physicians E-cigarette Report – both concluding that e-cigarettes are likely to be beneficial to public health,” QJ Satchell, president of NZVA was quoted as saying in a press note published by Scoop.

“New Zealand should have standards but we need to be very aware of the over regulation as seen in other parts of the world. There are now parts of the UK – Wales for example – who trying very hard to un-do the overly strict regulations that were initially put in place.

“For New Zealand, standards pave the way for vapers to have confidence in the e-cigarette products and e-liquids they are actively seeking.

“With the Prime Minister saying he’s received advice on the usefulness of e-cigarettes and vaping, surely he’d welcome a public inquiry about products that are actually reducing smoking related illnesses and are not costing the taxpayer a cent.

“The time has come for New Zealand to have a public debate on e-cigarettes and vaping. To hold out for ‘more research’ risks losing significant public health gains as a result of Kiwi’s switching to vaping,” Satchell said.

Meanwhile, NZVA said in the press note that New Zealand’s vapers and retailers of electronic cigarettes strongly supported a clear proof of age campaign for electronic cigarettes and a requirement that they should be sold only to people over 18 years of age.