Pre election / candidates out and about / good quick points

There are reports of candidates thinking all the vape marketing and child addiction is justified by helping tobacco smokers, and that vapes are not really harmful.

In this last week and a half when they are out and about, talking to voters and may be more responsive to emails, a simple few statements from each of us could be great. Some suggestions:

 • The American Cancer Council states vaping should not be used even to stop tobacco smoking! due to health risks

 • The FDA (federal drug association) has not approved vape use for the same reason.

 • Chemicals in vapes are at concentrations known to be a health risk for irreversible lung damage, cancer and other diseases. 

 • Vaping has been shown to encourage cigarette smoking

 • Sources of info are extremely reliable: major health institutions, clinicians, researchers. see American Cancer Society, American Lung Association, National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine, FDA, CDC etc.

 • Nicotine, as well as being highly addictive, affects brain development, a major concern quite apart from the behavioural problems such an addictive substance creates.

 • Labour and National are promising to keep at least 600 dedicated vape stores (a lot in a small country) and thousands! of dairies and other outlets licenced to sell vapes.

 • The vape stores can still be just 300 m from schools, in major shopping centres, also hugely promoting and selling drinks kids love and are the fashion right now.

 • Such access and marketing is insidious and unnecessary given vapes can still be easily available to those who need them if sold from pharmacies (even though this is likely to be too lax and prescription or other treatments for tobacco addiction will be seen to be wiser.)

 • A responsible government would let the public know of the risks. The current one is betraying the public trust when claiming constituents in vapes are not harmful. 

 • Advice from the Royal NZ College of GPs Director, the wonderful Dr Bryan Betty, is to make vapes prescription only, from pharmacies, associated with proper education.

Best wishes 

(Links to other info are in the petition and recent update.)