The anniversary of the commencement of this petition is sadly a time to mourn the lack of a caring government. There is still an absence of responsible first-world behaviour by the government regarding vape regulation.
Over the last 12 months many messages have been sent directly to the politicians who determine protocol, and to their health advisers and the media, stating clearly the legal and health bases for tight regulation of vaping in New Zealand, with suggested protocols for this, including that of pharmacy availability only as requested in this petition.
What has resulted?
The government has rejected all this, and advice from the WHO to either ban or tightly regulate vaping, and the requests from clinicians, respiratory and cardiovascular clinical groups along with the pleas from teachers, parents and vape addicts themselves, for rigorous proper control of this harmful practice.
Vaping is a popular activity and a thriving industry in New Zealand, much supported by the government, with a continuing youth epidemic including large numbers of primary school children.
As previously reported, NZ has the second highest per capita vape rate in the OECD.
A minor very recent improvement is that Quitline advises NRT(nicotine replacement therapy) as well as vaping for tobacco addicts. This still however compares poorly with what may be considered 'first world' advice, which does not promote vaping.
US: How to Quit Smoking | Smoking and Tobacco Use | CDC
NZ:https://smokefree.org.nz/smokefree-in-action/breakfree-to-smokefree
The government is not serious in helping vapers.
It has attempted to block allegations of illegality of its practice of both supporting and profiting from the widespread intense marketing of a highly addictive toxic product, which has not been approved by Medsafe even as a tobacco cessation tool. The excuse given for all its support for the industry is that it helps tobacco smokers quit.
However that simply, obviously in fact does not justify the extent of the extraordinary public displays and availability of vapes far beyond that of tobacco products, the vape specialty outlets with highly alluring displays throughout every community with poorly regulated R18 being the only requirement, no clear description of the health risks except for nicotine addiction, their being sold online like a health product, and children, who never smoked, being targeted by the marketing.
The lack of information to consumers of hazards of the product other than that of nicotine addiction is highly illegal, given the clear WHO advice and the well-documented advice of major respected scientific and clinical institutions, which includes consistent findings that multiple toxic components, both in the vape liquids and the products formed by heating them, in normal vaping exposes lungs of vapers to chemicals in concentrations known to cause harm. DNA change in cells lining vapers mouths resemble those of smokers, life insurance companies increase premiums for vapers at the same rate as tobacco smokers due to high health risks of both.
In short, a year on, the health of NZ citizens is still being seriously compromised for short term profit by a government acting criminally, and for the tobacco-vape industry.
(The resources in the links below can be helpful for those trying to quit and their supporters and counsellors. Such information has been provided for a long time online and through counsellors by countries which are serious about addressing addiction to vaping.
Understanding why humans become addicted is immensely helpful in developing tools to break a habit sucessfully, long term, even when, in the case of vaping in NZ, the displays, constant reminders and understatement of risk remain.
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/6407-addiction
https://nida.nih.gov/publications/drugfacts/understanding-drug-use-addiction )
Note: It would be helpful to get more signatures if you find keen individuals, as more may be more persuasive, even though the facts of the health and legal issues should suffice with a government performing its duty of care.
Thank you for engaging in this issue. As said before the loss of a comments on updates section is very much missed.
(Image from Wikipedia)