(The previous update with this title appears not to have been emailed by Change.org, so this is addressing that problem, beginning with a copy '..')
'The government knows vapes are hazardous, that pathological respiratory, cardiovascular, DNA and other biological changes can result from vaping, but it is effectively doing nothing.
It allows them to be sold everywhere, including online, as with this alluring Just Juice vape ad.
Most of the following has been said, but needs to be restated to help bring the issue further into the light.'
For the complete update, which includes some new material on a cost of vaping request, please click on 'Previous' at the end of this one.
(Note: that update was not simply deleted because a letter sent to MPs, health ministry and department heads and the media has a link to it.
The joys of interacting via apps like this.. Although Change.org is still very useful I do miss the comments section for each update.)
The letter sent to the MPs et al:
New Zealanders are misled by their own government as vaping rates, second globally, and with childhood epidemic levels, put them at risk of serious harm.
No-one believes this level of marketing, lack of information of risk, lack of decent quitting programmes is justified to help tobacco smokers quit. It is against WHO advice which all but 3 western nations have followed.
The link provided is to a petition which includes many references and documents, suggestions in its various updates.
Current government plans are mere window dressing while vape industry advice, as in the UK and as Philip Morris provides, is followed.
New Zealanders are now exposed to serious health risks due to the behaviour of their own government.
Note, in addition to all the clinical advice, the cost of life insurance is increased the same for those who have only vaped as for tobacco smokers.
Yet, we have an ignored, ongoing child vaping epidemic."
Added for Greens MP:
"Hi ...
Greens are not helping here. This synthetic product is a very dangerous method of getting nicotine, with its own risks, into the body and is being used to make money from naive individuals who never smoked tobacco, or had given it up, and who are mostly unaware of risks other than its addictive property.
Opposition parties which do nothing are complicit in this atrocious exploitation. I appeal to you as my government representative, with a voice, to help us follow the WHO recommendation to tightly regulate or to ban vaping."