The Vaping Kiwi Looks At Calls for Vaping to Be Age Restricted to Over 21s

With Government preparing to change the law and regulate e-cigarettes, the

Ministry of Health has released an analysis of submissions from individuals, health experts and organisations, including international tobacco companies - on how the issue should be handled in this country, all of which is of great interest to The Vaping Kiwi.

Debate over age limits, safety standards, whether to ban vaping in smokefree areas and a strong opposition to tax are among the issues identified by the Ministry, with some submitters calling for an age threshold three years higher than on tobacco products. "Themes that emerged included that e-cigarettes should not be sold to anyone under 21 years old, manufacturers should set age restrictions, and monitoring of use by young people is needed," the report said.

Many submitters supported their views by giving personal stories about using e-cigarettes as a means to quit smoking tobacco. It is currently illegal to sell an e-cigarette (with or without nicotine) while making a therapeutic claim - such as claims to help smokers quit - unless the product has been approved for that purpose by Medsafe.

Two Herald on Sunday journalists, Russell Blackstock and Matthew Theunissen, said vaping had helped them stop smoking tobacco and didn't support tobacco-style duty."They have been very effective for helping myself and others I know to break the habit of smoking. Why make things even more difficult for those who want to stop by taxing these products," Blackstock said.

"I am undoubtedly addicted to e-cigarettes," Theunissen said, who noted vaping saw him stop smoking within the space of a week. "I enjoy experimenting with the different flavours and devices available, particularly as e-cigarette technology continues to evolve and improve. "I tried to quit countless times using patches, nicotine gum and also just going cold turkey, but I never lasted more than a month."

Government announced it intended to legalise nicotine e-cigarettes last month. Associate Health Minister Nicky Wagner announcing the change comes despite the fact scientific evidence of the safety of e-cigarettes is still developing. "This work has commenced and it is expected we will be reporting back to Cabinet by the end of 2017."

The Government has adopted a "Smokefree 2025" goal, aimed at reducing smoking and tobacco availability to minimal levels, making New Zealand essentially a smokefree nation by 2025.

For more information on The Vaping Kiwi, please visit the website at http://www.thevapingkiwi.co.nz .