Unbelievable government advice is in this online link: NZ Vaping Cessation
Title: Guidance for Health Workers supporting people to stop vaping and using vaping to stop smoking November 2024 Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora
there are 5 bullet points to be emphasised to people giving up smoking (see page 31) :
“• Up to two in three smokers will die from smoking unless they stop (Banks et al 2015). • Smoking cigarettes involves the combustion or burning of tobacco, which creates cancer-causing substances. • Vapes heat e-liquids, which do not contain tobacco. The process of vaping does not involve the combustion or burning of tobacco. • Nicotine in any form of delivery can be addictive, but it does not cause cancer. • Based on evidence from a small number of studies, with the longest follow-up duration being two years (Lindson et al 2024), there is no serious harm from nicotine vaping.”’
Note – The 5 points happen to omit the risks of vaping, and the final most important one denies risk, completely refuting the most respected international clinical consensus and research findings.
There is in the whole PDF some information about risks of vaping, but the primary advice is, ideally you should not smoke or vape, but do not be too worried about health effects of vaping.
Given the ongoing ignorance of NZ about vaping I have collated the following document which may, or parts of it, be a resource to help redress this and our country being exploited by the tobacco and vape corporations, sadly assisted by our government.
It is this :
(Note: those who have read updates in this petition will see most of the content has been provided previously)
Information for the New Zealand Vaper
The primary resource for this information document is a simple, clear publication of the Cleveland Clinic, one of the most respected medical clinics in the world, generally ranked second only to the Mayo Clinic which provides the same information just in a different format.
(The information regarding vaping risks and means of quitting provided by the New Zealand Ministry of Health online, for the public and as a guide for health professionals to use, has basic flaws and is unreliable, having clear and concerning understatement of risk.)
The document has three parts
1. a print-out of the Cleveland Clinic material for public use
2. some other useful links and material
3. a brief description and comparison of the current NZ government material
1. the Cleveland Clinic material with link:
Vaping (E-Cigarettes): What It Is, Side Effects & Dangers
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/21162-vaping
This has been printed out below. “..”
Note: The support systems referred to by the Cleveland Clinic material are in the US and not matched here. However, some NZ GPs and others can be helpful, especially if they are not relying upon the current NZ Ministry of Health material or advice. (See item 2.)
The Cleveland Clinic advice
“ Vaping (E-Cigarettes)
Vaping is when you use a handheld electronic device to breathe a mist (“vapor”) into your lungs. An e-cigarette, vape pen or other electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) heats a liquid of nicotine, flavoring, propylene glycol and other additives into an aerosol that you inhale through a mouthpiece. Vaping can cause breathing problems, organ damage, addiction and other conditions.
Overview
What is vaping?
Vaping is when you use a small, handheld device (like e-cigarettes, vape pens or mods) to inhale a mist of nicotine and flavoring (e-liquid). It’s similar to smoking a cigarette, but vaping heats tiny particles out of a liquid rather than burning tobacco.
How does vaping work?
Vaping works by heating liquid in a small device so you can breathe it into your lungs. The e-cigarette, vape pen or other vaping device heats the liquid in the device to create an aerosol. This isn’t water vapor. Mist from e-cigarettes contains particles of nicotine, flavoring and other substances suspended in air. You breathe these particles into your mouth from the mouthpiece, where they go down your throat and into your lungs.
What are e-cigarettes (vape pens)?
An electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) is a device that heats up the liquid nicotine and flavoring for you to breathe in. There are many varieties of e-cigarettes that go by different names, including vapes, vape pens or sticks, e-hookahs, hookah sticks, mods and personal vaporizers (PVs). They can also be collectively called electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS).
Most types of e-cigarettes have:
• A cartridge, tank or pod that holds liquid (can be refillable).
• A heating element for turning the liquid into breathable particles (aerosol, commonly called “vapor”).
• A battery to power the heating element.
• A power or control button (some are activated by sensors when you inhale).
• A mouthpiece to breathe in the aerosol.
What is the difference between vaping and smoking cigarettes?
Vaping and smoking both involve inhaling nicotine and other substances into your lungs. E-cigarettes heat liquid to make an aerosol; cigarettes burn tobacco, which creates smoke.
Is vaping worse than cigarettes?
Vaping is often thought of as safer than cigarette smoking, but vaping causes health problems, too. Both vaping and smoking are addictive and bring potentially dangerous chemicals into your body. The levels of many of these chemicals is higher when you burn tobacco. Vaping hasn’t been around long enough to know what kind of long-term damage it might cause.
What does vaping do to your lungs?
The particles you inhale while vaping can cause inflammation (swelling) and irritation in your lungs. This can lead to lung damage like scarring and narrowing of the tubes that bring air in and out of your lungs. Researchers don’t yet know all the effects vaping can have on your body.
Isn’t vaping just water vapor?
No. Despite the name, vaping doesn’t make water vapor. It actually creates an aerosol (or mist) that contains small particles of nicotine, metal and other harmful substances.
What’s in e-liquid (e-juice)?
E-liquid, also called e-juice or vape juice, is what vaping devices use to make the vapor you breathe in. E-liquids aren’t just water. They usually contain:
• Flavoring. Each flavoring has its own set of ingredients.
• Nicotine, the addictive and harmful substance in cigarettes and other tobacco products.
• Propylene glycol and glycerin, used to create vapor.
E-liquids and flavorings sometimes have other ingredients, including:
• Chemicals that can cause cancer (carcinogens), like acetaldehyde and formaldehyde.
• Chemicals known to cause lung disease, such as acrolein, diacetyl and diethylene glycol.
• THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), the chemical in marijuana that gets you “high.”
• Vitamin E acetate, linked to lung injury caused by vaping (EVALI, see below).
• Heavy metals like nickel, tin, lead and cadmium.
• Tiny (ultrafine) particles that can get deep into your lungs.
Risks / Benefits
What are the dangers of vaping?
The dangers of vaping include lung and other organ damage, breathing problems, addiction and more. People tend to think of vaping as “safer” than smoking, but it’s not safe.
Problems vaping causes include:
• Asthma. Vaping can make you more likely to get asthma and other lung conditions. It can make your existing asthma worse.
• Lung scarring. Diacetyl, a chemical used in some flavorings, can cause bronchiolitis obliterans (“popcorn lung”). Bronchiolitis obliterans causes permanent scarring in your lungs.
• Organ damage. In addition to your lungs, nicotine and other substances in e-liquid can hurt your heart and brain. We know nicotine can hurt brain development, raise your blood pressure and narrow your arteries.
• EVALI (e-cigarette, or vaping, product use associated lung injury). EVALI is a serious lung condition that vaping causes. It causes widespread damage to your lungs and gives you symptoms like coughing, shortness of breath and chest pain. EVALI can be fatal.
• Addiction. Nicotine is highly addictive. It causes changes in your brain so you want more and morenicotine. You might not be able to stop vaping if you want to or if it starts causing health problems. Even e-liquids that say they’re nicotine free have small amounts of nicotine.
• Cigarette smoking. Many people start out vaping and end up smoking cigarettes, which contain higher amounts of harmful chemicals.
• Second-hand exposure. Vaping doesn’t make smoke, but people around you are exposed to nicotine and other chemicals when you vape.
• Explosions. There have been incidents of batteries in vaping devices exploding and causing serious injuries and burns.
• Cancer. Some ingredients in e-liquids are known to cause cancer.
What is EVALI?
EVALI is short for e-cigarette, or vaping, product use associated lung injury. It’s a serious lung condition caused by vaping. Vitamin E acetate, found in some e-liquids, is a possible cause.
An outbreak of EVALI in late 2019 and early 2020 put thousands of people in the hospital. At least 68 people died. Since then, EVALI cases have been declining, but people who vape can still get EVALI.
Among people who were hospitalized with severe EVALI, most were younger than 35 and used THC-containing vapes from informal sources (online, family or friends). However, EVALI can happen in anyone using either nicotine or THC-containing vapes.
Symptoms of EVALI include:
• Cough.
• Shortness of breath.
• Chest pain.
• Fever.
• Vomiting.
• Diarrhea.
• Stomach pain.
• Fast heartbeat.
What are the side effects of vaping?
Short-term side effects of vaping include:
• Coughing.
• Shortness of breath.
• Eye irritation.
• Headaches.
• Dry and irritated mouth and throat.
• Nausea.
What is the benefit of vaping?
You may have heard the benefits of vaping are that it’s safe or that it helps you quit smoking. Some people vape because they think it’ll help them quit smoking if they’ve already tried other methods and haven’t been able to quit. Unfortunately, you may end up addicted to vaping instead, so the benefits of vaping for smoking cessation may not be as good as they seem. There’s no benefit to vaping if you don’t already smoke.
People usually think vaping isn’t as bad as cigarette smoking, but the mist you breathe in still has nicotine and other harmful chemicals in it. Vaping isn’t safe and can cause health problems, including life-threatening lung injuries.
Can your lungs heal from vaping?
Some damage to your lungs from vaping can heal or get better with medications. Others, like lung scarring, are permanent. Over time, constant irritation to your lungs can lead to health problems (like asthma and COPD) that won’t go away.
Can vaping kill you?
In some cases, yes, you can die from lung injuries vaping causes. For instance, 68 people died in an outbreak of vaping-related illness (EVALI) in 2019 and 2020.
Is it safe to vape while pregnant?
No, it’s not safe to vape while you’re pregnant. Vaping exposes you to some of the same chemicals that cigarette smoking does. Vaping while pregnant can cause low birth weight, lung damage and brain damage in the developing fetus.
Additional Common Questions
Does vaping help you quit smoking?
Vaping isn’t approved as a way to quit smoking. Approved methods include patches, inhalers, lozenges and gum. While vaping might help you quit smoking, it probably won’t help you quit nicotine altogether.
In a recent study, about 18% of people who switched to vaping had been able to quit smoking. That’s about twice as many people as those who used other methods to quit smoking. However, about 80% of people who quit smoking were still vaping. Of people who used other methods, 91% kicked nicotine products altogether.
How can I quit vaping?
Quitting vaping is similar to quitting smoking, sticking to a diet or any other habit you want to change. It’s a process that won’t happen overnight, but you can make a plan to help you along the way:
• Make goals, even if it includes reducing vaping gradually.
• Set a quit date. Make sure it’s not too far away or at the same time as a stressful event.
• Talk to a healthcare provider, therapist or school counselor about quitting. They can help you make a plan that works for you and give you support in the process.
• Ask your provider, therapist or school counselor about free resources to help you quit, like online, texting and phone services or apps.
• Let friends and family know your plans for quitting. They can give you support and hold you accountable to stick to your plan.
• Make a list of reasons you want to quit vaping. Look at it or think of it throughout the process of quitting.
• Avoid temptations and triggers. Try to avoid situations where you normally vape or replace them with other activities.
• Get exercise. Not only does exercise distract you from the desire to vape, it also helps you feel good.
• Know that you’ll have cravings and some side effects, like headaches or anxiety. Nicotine gum, patches or other medications can help with cravings.
• Learn to relax with yoga, meditation and deep or rhythmic breathing.
A note from Cleveland Clinic
From accessories to flavors, vaping can seem very appealing. Unfortunately, it’s not as harmless as it seems. We know nicotine and other ingredients in e-liquids can hurt your body and we still don’t know what long-term health problems vaping could cause. If you don’t vape, don’t start. If you need help quitting, know that you’re not alone. There are online resources, texting and phone services and apps that connect you with real people to help you on your journey to kick the habit. “
(2) Other information you may find helpful
E-Cigarettes & Vaping | American Lung Association (the Cleveland Clinic material has a link to this, which provides more detail.) This contains evidence that for many years the advice has been that all vaping involves exposure of lung tissue to toxins at harmful concentrations.
American Lung Association online quitting resources:
ALA Comp Approach to Ending Vaping .2025 .pdf | Powered by Box
N-O-T: Not On Tobacco—Proven Teen Smoking and Vaping Cessation Program | American Lung Association
Vaping doubles risk of serious lung disease, even without smoking history - study https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/559655/vaping-doubles-risk-of-serious-lung-disease-even-without-smoking-history-study This article describes reliable research showing that vaping increases risk of COPD by 2.29 times. COPD is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, including emphysema and chronic bronchitis, and makes the simple act of breathing a major challenge. It also places considerable pressure on the heart. A direct link to the published paper: E-cigarette Use and Incident Cardiometabolic Conditions in the All of Us Research Program | Nicotine & Tobacco Research | Oxford Academic
Vaping damages young people’s lungs as much as smoking, study suggests | Vaping | The Guardian This article describes more published research, again from reputable groups, finding that regular vapers had lung function reduction comparable to that of tobacco smokers, and that blood vessel and tissue DNA changes in vapers resembled those due to tobacco smoking.
Vapers are smokers when it comes to insurance premiums | The Post
The Asthma and Respiratory Foundation, a respected charity organisation which speaks up about vaping and offers help with quitting. A link to their site:
https://www.asthmafoundation.org.nz/
(3) The New Zealand Situation
NOTE – The content below is just for reading. It is recommended you do not follow the NZ Quitline advice as it tends to support vaping without adequate statement of risk (Compare with advice above.)
In New Zealand we still have a youth epidemic of vaping, and New Zealand is still not following World Health Organisation advice on tight regulation or banning of vapes. The government does not provide clear information about risks or how to quit, for the public or for health professionals. Vaping, e-cigarette use, may be safer than use of tobacco cigarettes, the primary cause of lung cancer, but it is also a seriously hazardous behaviour, placing the regular vaper at risk of severe irreversible lung problems, cardiovascular disease and various cancers.
Many New Zealanders still think vaping is safe, with the only real risk being addiction to nicotine. Why? The government has facilitated widespread and easy access to vapes, without requirement on packaging to state composition or risk other than that of nicotine content and potential for addiction, and Quitline is primarily for tobacco users and has strongly encouraged using vaping to stop while giving no proper support or advice to quit this other addictive practice. There is some minimal information online from the government about vaping risks, but the primary advice is still, ideally you should not smoke or vape, but do not be too worried about health effects of vaping. – see below.
For example if you search ‘help for vape addiction New Zealand’ online you get this:
Quitline
Text Quitline for free advice and tips to help motiviate(sic) you to quit smoking. This website is here to support you 24/7. When you sign up online you get your own personalised page. We can help you find a local organisation you can meet who can help you quit smoking. Ready to Stop?
Quit: Vaping - Quitline New Zealand
quit.org.nz/vaping
The following “..", provided above also, is copied and pasted from the associated NZ government website, and reflects the primary advice the government gives, which is NOT clearly stating hazards of vaping or ways to stop. (As stated above, this and the very easy access to vapes flies in the face of World Health Organisation advice which is that countries should ban or at least tightly regulate vaping. It may be true that vaping is less harmful than smoking, but it is a major health risk and has been shown to cause extremely serious diseases. See above in 1. and 2. the guidance from respected major clinics and other evidence for quitting immediately.)
What are health professionals told by Health New Zealand?
Title page: Guidance for Health Workers supporting people to stop vaping and using vaping to stop smoking November 2024 Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora
NZ Vaping Cessation Guidance.pdf
There is some information about risks of vaping, but the primary advice is, ideally you should not smoke or vape, but do not be too worried about health effects of vaping.
The advice for health professionals to give, under the title ‘For people who smoke, vaping is less harmful than smoking’ states the following on page 31 – especially the last bullet point
“• Up to two in three smokers will die from smoking unless they stop (Banks et al 2015). • Smoking cigarettes involves the combustion or burning of tobacco, which creates cancer-causing substances. • Vapes heat e-liquids, which do not contain tobacco. The process of vaping does not involve the combustion or burning of tobacco. • Nicotine in any form of delivery can be addictive, but it does not cause cancer. • Based on evidence from a small number of studies, with the longest follow-up duration being two years (Lindson et al 2024), there is no serious harm from nicotine vaping.”’
As mentioned, the 5 points omit the risks of vaping and the denial of risk completely refutes the most respected international clinical consensus and research findings.
Why have the NZ governments, previous and current, so dramatically promoted vaping, allowed easy access to vapes and required no notification on packaging of composition of the vape liquid or of the heated inhaled aerosol content or of any health risk other than that of nicotine addiction, as is still the case? Why were vapes were so highly endorsed at music concerts, with specialty shops allowed near schools, and much later, after the vape epidemic had taken hold, the vape industry was given a full 2 months warning that specialty shops near schools after that time would not be permitted but any which opened in the interim could remain, or why could every local shop including thise near schools get a cheap licence to advertise and sell vapes, just with fewer flavours. Online and in shop sellers could advertise their wares like adult candy or a health product, when the government was alleging that vapes were purely a means to help people quit tobacco. That argument was valid only with tight regulation and clear information about risks. Nothing else was justified, and has merely exploited vulnerable groups.
Vaping involves inhaling chemicals deep into the extremely delicate tissues of the lungs to enter the blood, but packaging advice was less than that required for any food or drink sold in the supermarket, and as a treatment they still do not have approval by Medsafe.
A youth epidemic occurred! Mr Vaughan Couillot, President of the Secondary School Principals Association NZ, stated years ago, on RNZ Morning Report, when asked about mobile phone use in secondary schools, he was not worried about that but about vapes, which had become an epidemic and were causing serious problems in schools, and for children and parents. He said that tobacco smoking, due to reduced availability, serious health warnings and high cost of tobacco cigarettes, had no longer been an issue in secondary schools well before the new nicotine product, vapes, emerged.
"To be perfectly honest, if we were going to invest money in legislation and implementing legislation, I think we should invest that money in the scourge that is vaping," he said.
So, why did all this happen?
The most likely scenario is that NZ, including the government and health sectors, fell victim to, or were complicit in, the powerful persuasion of Philip Morris, a major tobacco and vape corporation. Both appear likely. That vapes were a possibly safer alternative to tobacco cigarettes, and the latter were clearly becoming a health issue, was a way in for a very large powerful corporate organisation primarily interested in profits from another addictive manufactured product, with any concern about health, if there were any, a very minor part. The government makes considerable funds from the sales of vapes, even though the lion’s share of the profits go to companies offshore. For example it makes 15% from each vape sale with GST. Even if vapes are less hazardous than tobacco cigarettes, that the product involved is highly addictive, is highly toxic and its risk is extremely understated, makes the government arguably criminal in its protocols. Ignorance of risk has never been an excuse, given the WHO strong advice etc.
The relationships between powerful MPs and Philip Morris are of great concern, and include Winston Peters, Casey Costello and Chris Bishop.
Alleged ties between NZ First and vaping companies a 'dangerous risk' to New Zealanders, anti-vape group warns | RNZ News
Government extends tax break for Philip Morris heated tobacco products - NZ Herald
So, what should the NZ government do? A suggested pathway:
1. Provide a media campaign and resources i. to tell New Zealanders clearly what the health risks of vapes are, the chemicals involved and the nature of their ability to harm the regular user, and require these to be on packaging, and ii. to encourage and help New Zealanders unhook from all nicotine products sold for profit, especially tobacco cigarettes, vapes, HTPs (heated tobacco products), and nicotine pouches. This would involve the Ministry of Health, doctors, pharmacists, schools etc.(Part of this will include reference to the advice from quitting as listed by the Cleveland Clinic, and include information about local sports facilities, meditation, use of NRT as gum or patches if required, etc.)
2. As part of the above, with a short intense initial media campaign advising the public widely and clearly about vapes and other nicotine products, including their risks, how to quit, and the proper support services that will be available, not resembling the current Quitline, tightly regulate availability of all these products.
3. For items 1 and 2 it may be necessary to create an ‘independent’ department to oversee the process and consisting of people without any affiliation to the tobacco industry and involving respected clinicians. These may include those at the ‘coal face’ like Mr Couillot, the respected Asthma and Respiratory Foundation which includes respiratory clinicians and has spoken up forcefully about these issues, Dr Bryan Betty, Chair of General Practice New Zealand (GPNZ), and similar individuals and groups with public welfare their only aim.
Those who have been in or advising the previous and current governments and the media on vaping with arguably weak comment and effect, while not promoting robust tools to understand hazards or and for youth especially help with quitting nicotine, should not be part of this new group. These include members of ASH, ASPIRE and of course VIANZ (Vaping Industry Association of New Zealand).
That the current Coalition government has as its spokesperson on vaping Casey Costello, and she, along with Winston Peters and Chris Bishop, have such close affiliation with, including recent lobbying for, the tobacco/vape industry, particularly Philip Morris, this would be a difficult task for them. Hence the term ‘independent’ for the group.
Note that the Minister for Health, Simeon Brown, and the three Associate Ministers for Health, Casey Costello, David Seymour* and Matt Doocey have no clinical qualifications, so to perform a duty of care should be listening to those who do, particularly specialists in the area.
In short, I believe a new broom is needed to lift NZ out of this terrible statistic of, like the UK, having a vaping epidemic, and NZ having the second highest rate per person of vaping in the OECD. It can be done. Right now we are continuing to create a tsunami of health problems, including our youth, primarily for profit. It is unconscionable.
*For an indication of the ACT position on marketed nicotine products, in June this year this was published: Seymour's 'light up' message alarms tobacco researchers - Newsroom
‘Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour’s comments to a London audience calling smokers “fiscal heroes” – and declaring people should “light up” to save their government’s balance sheet – are reprehensible and make light of addiction, tobacco researchers say. Seymour largely stands by his remarks, arguing smokers are a net economic positive through tobacco tax and reduced superannuation from early deaths – but has conceded he was wrong to describe as “quite evil” the Labour government’s plan to create a smokefree generation. Early in its term, the coalition Government sparked controversy by repealing a law that would have banned the sale of tobacco to anyone born after January 1, 2009 and dramatically reduced both the number of outlets able to sell tobacco and the nicotine levels in cigarettes.’