Taupo vaping ban totally misguided
by Vaping Trade Association of New ZealandFriday, 31 January 2020
“Taupo District Council’s move to ban vaping in public places does not support the country’s smokefree ambition. In fact, confusing vaping with smoking only hinders national progress on Smoke Free 2025,” says Jonathan Devery, spokesperson for the Vaping Trade Association of New Zealand (VTANZ).
The representative of independent Kiwi vape businesses says the council is to be congratulated for hitting cigarette smoking in its smokefree action plan. However, he says, including vaping in the ban is misguided and only stigmatises New Zealand’s most effective smoking cessation tool.
“Taupo District Council claims there is little research on either the health impacts of vaping or second-hand vaping. However, there is stacks of research internationally that shows vaping is 95% less harmful and has zero second-hand impact on others.
“The council has also suggested that banning vaping will lead to less people taking up smoking. Well that’s never been proven, in fact quite the opposite! When you make vaping available, more smokers successfully quit cigarettes,” says Mr Devery.
He says the council should be focused on improving health outcomes, with Taupo’s latest move to banish vaping based on snobbery not science.
“Look at Australia with their very tough nicotine vaping restrictions. Their smoking rates are simply not falling. Whereas in New Zealand, vaping has led to record-low smoking rates.”
In January ASH released its annual Year 10 survey of over 27,000 New Zealand students aged 14 and 15. Analysing the data, University of Auckland researchers concluded there is no youth vaping epidemic, with youth vaping rates remaining very low.
“If Taupo District Council wants local and visiting smokers to quit tobacco, they actually have to enable vaping, not demonise it. Smokefree advocates will tell you vaping is a friend, not an enemy!”
Mr Devery says Taupo’s public places and lakefront vaping ban follows similar moves by other councils throughout New Zealand over the past year.
“Hamilton City, not Taupo District, is actually the one showing progressive leadership on vaping when it comes to helping New Zealand become smokefree. Last year, the Hamilton City Council voted to keep vaping out of their city’s smokefree policy. Unlike Taupo, they understand the essential role vaping plays.”
Switching from smoking to vaping has substantial health benefits and is key to achieving Smoke Free 2025 – something the Ministry of Health, Health Promotion Agency, health pressure group ASH, Quitline New Zealand, and public health leader Hapai Te Hauora all openly acknowledge.
Last year Associate Health Minister Jenny Salesa launched a ‘vape-to-quit-smoking’ website as part of a concerted public information campaign. This year the Government is expected to bring in legislation to regulate vaping.
“Vaping is a key element of the country’s smokefree strategy but alarmingly many city and district councils still don’t get that. By treating smoking and vaping the same, Taupo District Council is banishing the best tool to eliminate the dangers of tobacco in the community,” says Mr Devery.
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