May 23, 2021
Vaping complicates tobacco control effort
A veteran Māori advocate says last week’s tobacco control hui showed a Smokefree Aotearoa 2025 was still possible – but the work won’t stop there.
Shane Bradbrook says the target got lost under the previous Government, but Associate Health Minister Dr Ayesha Verrall says it’s good to have a Minister committed to the kaupapa.
He says in the interim vaping has emerged and is being touted as a safe alternative.
"Anything that goes down your throat and into your lungs is going to have an adverse effect at some time. For us it does add a complication for when it's being pitched as a quitting device, and some people are using that with success, but in reality, it is not just being used for quitting and we are seeing an uptake in rangatahi vaping that should be of real concern," he says.
Mr Bradbrook says once Aotearoa is tobacco-free the focus can shift to vaping.
Copyright © 2021, UMA Broadcasting Ltd: www.waateanews.com