Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | News Video | Crime | Employers | Housing | Immigration | Legal | Local Govt. | Maori | Welfare | Unions | Youth | Search

 

Minister’s intentions would kill off Smoke Free 2025

Minister’s intentions would kill off Smoke Free 2025

Associate Health Minister Jenny Salesa seems intent on ensuring the Government’s vaping legislation will heavily target flavours and nicotine levels – a move that would be completely counterproductive to helping Kiwis quit smoking and achieving New Zealand’s Smoke Free 2025 ambition.

The comments come from leading vaping entrepreneur Ben Pryor, co-owner of Alt New Zealand – the largest Kiwi-owned vaping company.

Mr Pryor says to date the Minister and Government have been very supportive of the major role vaping is playing in getting New Zealanders off tobacco.

Last month Ms Salesa launched the Ministry of Health and Health Promotion Agency’s ‘vaping-to-quit-smoking’ website. At that time, she said ‘many people miss the nicotine when they quit smoking. Vaping can replace this nicotine but without the toxins found in cigarette smoke.’

However, Mr Pryor says the industry is increasingly agitated that the Minister is seemingly now being advised to legislate against flavours and to dramatically lower the nicotine levels allowed in the e-liquid used by vapers. Advice, he says, is seriously misguided.

Ms Salesa is expected to table the much-anticipated Smokefree Environments (Vaping) Amendment Bill in Parliament in about three months’ time.

“If the Government drops the nicotine levels by regulation to say one-fifth of that found in a conventional cigarette, then that will decimate the local vaping industry with only Big Tobacco coming out on top!

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

“It would mean less smokers make a successful transition to vaping, so we’d see Kiwis quitting tobacco at a much slower rate. In fact, it’s highly likely the outcome of all this could deliver the complete opposite of what the Government actually wants.”

If nicotine levels are regulated down, Mr Pryor believes it could also mean existing vapers head to hybrid products that heat tobacco rather than burn it, increasing their health risk.

“The process of heating tobacco is claimed to be less harmful than smoking cigarettes. However, research confirms that vaping is at least 95% safer, and is of course a lot cheaper because it avoids tobacco taxes.”

Mr Pryor says the local vaping industry’s concern about the Minister’s increasing focus on nicotine levels and flavours was confirmed in a recent interview.

“The Minister seemed to suggest that legislating against flavours and reducing nicotine levels could somehow help curb Big Tobacco’s questionable antics in the community. However, in reality such a move would only help Big Tobacco to sell more tobacco-based products as their vaping competitors would be seriously weakened.”

As for the issue of flavours attracting young people to vaping, Mr Pryor says Ms Salesa herself often cites significant research she released in April which showed vaping among young New Zealand secondary school students was very low and in fact falling.

“As she works with officials to draft up her vaping legislation, the local industry respectively asks the Minister to keep in mind why adult New Zealanders are successfully able to quit smoking. We strongly argue that it’s because vaping is the most effective smoking cessation tool on the market, thanks to it coming in flavours and containing sound yet safe nicotine levels.

“By wrongly targeting flavours and nicotine, the Minister runs the real risk of throwing the baby out with the bathwater and killing off country’s Smoke Free ambition once and for all,” says Mr Pryor.

www.getalt.co.nz

ENDS


© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines



Gordon Campbell: On Dune 2, And Images Of Islam


Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture tends to be hostile to Islam when we’re sitting in the dark, with popcorn.
Any number of movie examples come to mind, beginning with Rudolf Valentino’s role (over a century ago) as the romantic Arab hero in The Sheik...
More


 
 


Government: One-stop Shop Major Projects On The Fast Track

The Coalition Government’s new one-stop-shop fast track consenting regime for regional and national projects of significance will cut red tape and make it easier for New Zealand to build the infrastructure and major projects needed to get the country moving again... More

ALSO:


Government: GPS 2024: Over $20 Billion To Get Transport Back On Track
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has released the draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport, outlining the Coalition Government’s plan to build and maintain a transport system that enables people to get to where they need to go quickly and safely... More

ALSO:

Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.