The new government must of course not pretend that vapes are basically fine for adults and that the New Zealand youth vape epidemic is justified by 'helping tobacco smokers to stop'.
There is strong indication that they won't, from statements about vaping by National, ACT and NZ First parties regarding the high cost to New Zealand of vaping. But a message or two may be needed.
That Labour did this will hopefully be addressed by them as they analyse causes of their dramatic loss of support. Good leadership in this area could have helped to reduce this major swing. We still need support from parties in opposition of course.
Today I sent this to C Luxon, D Seymour and W Peters. (At some stage I think vapes will be phased out completely, but as a start this seemed an appropriate message to send the new leaders, 2 of them at least.)
It is a PS to an earlier and more detailed email a few days ago, shown below. This emphasised the number of signatures, made the image of the vape shop pop up, and provided the essence in these 2 simple paragraphs.
' 3666 signatures currently for vapes in pharmacies only.
Creating a vaping epidemic, allegedly to help cigarette smokers, is not acceptable. Pharmacies are a reasonable compromise, even though major health bodies advise that any vape use is too great a health risk, even as a means of stopping tobacco use.
Parents, schools, children, vape addicts desperately want vapes out of the public view now. As some vape addicts state, 'this would help' them stop. The constant reminder with these shops is a shocker given the risks.'
The earlier message:
Subject: You 3, or at least 2, will now determine vape regulations. Some simple points.
Dear Messrs Luxon, Seymour and Peters
Immense congratulations.
I have for many years taught tertiary health science, and my roles, mainly in Sydney, included writing and teaching post-graduate units for specialist cardiothoracic nursing. This provided insight into the science underpinning vaping and associated health issues.
New Zealand has been following the UK trajectory of vaping, with vape marketing and availability far exceeding that needed for quitting smoking, and unfortunately targetting youth, with a resultant serious youth vaping epidemic, given over 1 in 5 young New Zealanders regularly vape, and with the attendant terrible addiction and behaviour problems and deeply concerning health risks.
These matters have been extremely understated by the current Ministry of Health, even while they heavily impact our schools and put multiple stresses on our communities.
That we have collectively been lied to, as until recently the M of H website stated the toxicants in vapes are at concentrations unlikely to do harm, and some vapers are very young and wouldn't know what a toxicant even was, is, to be plain, criminal.
The hugely reputable American Cancer Council states that vaping must not be adopted even to stop smoking cigarettes!
This is a very big call given the danger of tobacco re tar and carbon monoxide to lung and general health.
Here is a summary of a few selected major points - details and user-friendly refs supplied at the end.
• 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 this information 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, quite apart from the behavioural problems such an addictive substance creates.
• Labour, and National, were 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. National did howeverrefer to change in protocol. ACT have suggested using alcohol outlets. (The issues of this last are discussed elsewhere - see at end.)
• 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.
• This 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.
• The Royal NZ College of GPs Director, the wonderful Dr Bryan Betty, calls for vapes to be pharmacy/prescription only.
Some of the references
mhttps://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/485367/rnzcgp-calls-for-vapes-to-be-prescription-only
https://www.lung.org/quit-smoking/e-cigarettes-vaping/whats-in-an-e-cigarette
Other information and reference links are in the updates of a petition I began in June:
Very best wishes each of you for the next three years. The extraordinary diversity of the parties has benefits of necessarily engaging you with all New Zealanders on issues which clearly matter to them, but will require brilliant leadership to 'move forward' on the big issues and avoid being mired in argument which precludes progress. I think most of us will be intensely relieved and grateful if you can with transparency and courage bring New Zealanders together in the interests of us for whom you are in power.
Enjoy it, and thank you for putting up your respective hands!
Kind regards
Mary MacGibbon ( PhD)