Aotearoa Allies Advocate for Aussies - Vaping Consumers
- Kim
- Jun 11
- 2 min read
Aotearoa Vapers Community Advocacy (AVCA)
AVCA is a grassroots community of people (who gave up smoking by switching to vaping) who support the rights of people who smoke (and those who previously smoked) to easily access reduced risk nicotine products. We receive no funding from the tobacco or vaping industries.
Since the introduction of sensible regulation of vaping products in New Zealand smoking rates have tumbled at an unprecedented rate enabling the achievement of a current smoking rate of just 6.8%. New Zealand is well on track to achieve its smokefree goal of 5% or less of the population smoking in 2025.
New Zealand allows vaping products to be sold as an adult consumer product in much the same way that cigarettes and alcohol are sold. There is no significant black market for vaping products in New Zealand. Australia has taken an approach to vaping which is contrary to other Western nations and is not supported by the scientific evidence.
Vaping has been found to be the most effective stop smoking method available. This is due, in part, to the ability of the user to customise their experience using different devices and flavours to suit the individual. A prescription model of limited flavours and devices will not be nearly as effective as the consumer model deployed by New Zealand in lowering smoking rates even presuming the people can actually access the products in Australia given the reluctance of general practitioners to prescribe and pharmacies to stock these products. A reluctance, I may add, no doubt due to ignorance and the fear mongering of Australian health authorities and the media.
There is much talk in Australia around how the medicalisation of vaping products will prevent youth vaping, which ignores the fact that Australian youth (and the majority of Australian adult vapers) obtain vaping products from the black market. The black market does not care who they sell to. A huge black market for vaping products exists in Australia due to over regulation (or more accurately, the de facto prohibition of these products). The only way to prevent youth access is to regulate the availability and quality of vaping products along with the introduction of suitable fines for any retailers who sell to those underage. This will curtail the black market as the majority of vapers (who are adults by the way) will chose to obtain their vaping products from safer, legitimate sources.
If the Australian government really wants to protect children maybe they should make the most effective stop smoking method (vaping) easily available to the parents, grandparents, and other family members of these children, should they wish to stop smoking, ensuring that these people live long and productive lives free from tobacco related diseases and death.
Submission To Therapeutic Goods and Other Legislation Amendment (Vaping Reforms) Bill 2024 Inquiry
*Please email us if this profile blog is about you and you wish to have any edits, additions or omissions created. Kind regards ALIVE Advocacy Movement Admin Team.
