LEADING VAPING RETAILER CALLS FOR GOVERNMENT HEARING ON E-CIGARETTES

On the cusp of the World Premiere of ‘A Billion Lives’ documentary about vaping and Government inaction at DocEdge, one of New Zealand’s leading e-cigarette and e-liquid retailers is calling on the Government to hold a public hearing on e-cigarettes.

“With the debate about e-cigarettes at its peak overseas and here in New Zealand, NZVAPOR is calling on the Government to hold a select committee inquiry into e-cigarettes and vaping”, said QJ Satchell, Founder of NZVAPOR.

“Only last week the UK’s Royal College of Physicians released a 200-page report endorsing e-cigarettes. This extensively researched paper by leading international experts collected all the latest evidence on e-cigarettes and unreservedly called for all smokers to switch to vaping.”

The Royal College of Physicians conclusions included:

· E-cigarettes are not a gateway to smoking

· E-cigarettes do not result in normalisation of smoking

· E-cigarettes can act as a gateway from smoking

“New Zealanders deserve an opportunity to have their say on products that - according to Public Health England, are 95% safer than cigarettes,” said Mr Satchell.

“It is also important that New Zealanders understand that e-cigarettes are not tobacco products and contain no tobacco. The current law around these products in inadequate with vapers having to purchase nicotine e-liquid from overseas suppliers.”

“The time has come for a serious public debate about the value of these products to Kiwis desperate to quit smoking, yet are held-back by in-action by the Government. Only a public hearing whereby public health experts and vapers can share their knowledge, will New Zealand be able to make informed decisions about a product that is helping thousands of people,” Mr Satchell said.

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