Government appears set for Knee Jerk Reaction on Vaping
Monday 16th of September
Government appears set for Uninformed Knee Jerk Reaction on Vaping
A surge in teen vaping rates and a series of deaths being linked to vaping has resulted in a number of bans on the sales of flavoured Vape juice products in the United States. Though it is widely acknowledged that vaping is far less harmful than smoking tobacco, the sudden rush to ban flavoured Vape Juice in certain US states seems to ignore the fact approximately Eleven million Americans are now using E-cigarettes. There has been little to no consultation.
A recent series of deaths and hospitalisations in the US linked to Vaping have been cited by New York and Michigan as one of the reasons they have abruptly announced bans on the sale of flavoured E-liquids. Unfortunately what has so far gone largely unreported by most media outlets is that there appears to be evidence that the recent series of deaths and hospitalisations is linked to the improper manufacture of E-liquids, unsafe additives and the use of THC (psychoactive component of cannabis) containing E-liquids.
It has
been reported that in New Zealand the Ministry of Health is
also considering a ban on flavoured E-liquids. The Associate
Minister of Health Jenny Salesa seems to be unaware that
illicit or improperly manufactured E-liquids are largely
responsible for deaths and hospitalisation in the US and
appears to be in general uninformed on the topic of Vaping.
Jenny Selesa is planning on introducing legislation that
would ban all flavoured E-liquids except tobacco, menthol
and mint.
There is no word yet on whether the proposed
legislation will attempt to educate consumers or better
regulate Vaping products. Without a doubt this legislation
will remove choice for the tens of thousands of New
Zealanders who use flavoured liquids and likely result in
more New Zealanders smoking tobacco.
It is also important to keep Vaping related harm in perspective:
Deaths resulting from smoking each year-
According to
the Ministry of Health approximately 5000 New Zealanders die
each year due to smoking or second hand smoke exposure. And
according to the World Health Organisation more than eight
million people die each year globally due to cigarette
smoking and or exposure to second hand smoke.
Deaths
resulting from alcohol consumption each year-
The Health
Promotion Agency (a Crown entity) estimates that between 600
to 800 New Zealanders die each year due to alcohol related
causes. Alcohol related harm also goes far beyond the number
of deaths attributed to it each year in the form of domestic
abuse, hospitalisations and the increased burden it causes
public services. The WHO estimates that three million people
die each year globally from alcohol related causes.
It is disappointing to see the real benefits of Vaping being ignored by lawmakers, countless numbers of people who never thought that they could quit using tobacco products have been able to do so using E-cigarettes and an entire industry has sprung up around the technology that has rapidly displaced tobacco smoking. Sadly it looks as though lawmakers will opt for the blunt instrument of a ban instead of better regulation of the Vaping industry which would be far less likely to take away choice from tens of thousands of New Zealanders.
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