The sale of e-cigarettes in New Zealand will become legal under a Government proposal.
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Now e-cigarettes containing nicotine can be imported for personal use, but it is illegal to supply, sell or give them away.
Kiwis were already buying them online and importing directly for personal use, said Associate Health Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-liga, as it was not illegal to use them.
The sale of e-cigarettes would be restricted to people aged 18 years and over, would prevent e-cigarettes being advertised, and ban their use in smoke-free areas, according to the proposals.
Hāpai Te Hauora as the National Tobacco Control Advocacy Service have always prioritised listening to what consumers using e-cigarettes to quit smoking are saying, and now they are thrilled that the Associate Minister of Health Peseta Sam Lotu-liga seems to be taking their views into consideration too.
“Ensuring e-liquids are sold in child proof containers to prevent accidental poisoning is one obvious safety measure”.
“I first started working on e-cigarettes in 2007, I’ve been working on them ever since, and I can heartily recommend them as a lot safer, much safer, than smoking ordinary cigarettes”. “There is scientific consensus that they are less harmful than tobacco cigarettes”, Lotu-Iiga said.
The consultation closes on 12 September 2016.
Tobacco researcher Murray Laugeson said it’s an excellent move by the Government. However, there are fears young people could use the devices.
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And a pack of 20 cigarettes will increase from about $20 now to around $30 in 2020 after hefty excise increases were announced as part of May’s Budget. “We’ve still got high smoking rates, particularly amongst Maori, particularly amongst Pacific, pregnant women”.
