November 21, 2023
Vape spread getting out of hand
The Asthma and Respiratory Foundation says politicians have dropped the ball over the normalisation of vaping, especially among youth.
At last week’s New Zealand Respiratory Conference, the foundation released a reference guide to help health professionals support youth quit vaping.
Chief executive Letitia Harding says the kids are telling them vaping supplies are readily accessible.
“We’ve been pushing the government to just stop anymore specialist vape retailers from setting up at all. The legislation that’s coming into effect, of course, where specialist vape retailers can’t set up within 300 meters of marae and school, that’s great, but it doesn’t actually remove the ones which are already there. So you know, why aren’t they stopping any more shops from setting up is a reason we want to know,” she says
Ms Harding says New Zealand should look at the prescription model used in Australia.