Professor Chris Bullen Professor of Public Health, School of Population Health - The University of Auckland
- Pippa Starr
- Jul 18, 2023
- 2 min read
Updated: Apr 20
18 July 2023
3 May 2023 - Australian Bans Vaping, Expert Reaction
"Vaping is viewed and regulated quite differently in New Zealand than in Australia.
"First, vaping is seen as a valuable tool in New Zealand’s tobacco control plan, as a proven way to support people who smoke to quit smoking. We also acknowledge the principle of proportionality - that the benefits of vaping products far outweigh the downsides.
"The proof is in the pudding: as vaping has increased, smoking rates have dropped. Smoking is at an all-time low, with a step-change in smoking for Maori, and we should celebrate that progress. Many smokers are switching from cigarettes to vaping, dramatically reducing their risks of harm, and out-of-pocket costs.
"The most obvious downside of vaping is that increasing numbers of young people who have never smoked cigarettes have taken up vaping. This is the main concern behind the Australian ‘War on vaping’.
"But the data from New Zealand young people, from the most robust survey (the ASH Year Ten Survey), suggest that while experimentation with vapes is common, daily vaping is still relatively rare (just 4 to 5% of 14-15-year-olds in 2022).
"Furthermore, concerns that young people who vape will take up smoking are simply not borne out by the evidence from studies in a range of countries.
"Second, the regulatory environment towards vaping is very different. Despite this difference, youth vaping rates are similar, suggesting that the intensity of social media marketing of vapes and social pressures for young people are likely to be more influential on their behaviour than regulations, calling into question how effective the Australian policy changes will be.
"New Zealand’s regulatory settings are under review and should be adjusted to address areas of concern such as youth-targeted marketing, youth-friendly packaging, poor product quality and illegal sales to minors. Restrictions on flavours and nicotine content are also being looked at, but we need to be careful not to make vaping less accessible and attractive for adults who currently smoke, especially when under the new Smokefree Act very low-nicotine tobacco will be the only tobacco available over the next few years. The focus in New Zealand should be continuing to treat vapes as a tool to help many adults who smoke to quit, and supporting parents and teachers to work with their young people to withstand social and marketing pressures to vape, rather than banning and demonising vaping and vapers in some kind of ‘war’."
