July 29, 2022
Vaping undermining smoke-free push
Posted On July 29, 2022
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A Māori public health expert says it's crazy to swap tobacco nicotine for vaping nicotine.
A Māori public health expert says it’s crazy to swap tobacco nicotine for vaping nicotine.
Dr Andrew Waa, of Ngāti hine-Ngapuhi, says the Smokefree Environments Bill now before Parliament will make a huge difference for Māori – especially the next generation who will be barred from buying smoking tobacco products.
But he says lawmakers still need to tackle the vaping craze.
“Our latest research says 20 percent of Maori rangatahi are vaping daily. Those are rates we haven’t seen in smoking since the mid-2000s,” Dr Waa says.