(Image above is from the letter sent to me today.)
C Costello reply today to my letter sent to Messrs Luxon, Peters and Seymour is provided below, along with the letter I had sent.
Her reply has no mention of any government intention to inform vapers clearly of health risks of vaping, or to provide real assistance in overcoming addiction to it. Instead the government is handing out free vape kits and nicotine pods.
The link in her letter shows on its front page:
'Vape kit pilot initiative
Free access to vape products is an action in the Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora plan, Getting to Smokefree 2025.
A pilot programme distributed vape kits alongside ongoing behavioural support and traditional therapies.
Early results show high uptake and engagement, especially among adults who have not succeeded with quitting smoking by using other methods. Of the 5,261 people who quit smoking in the period January to August 2025, 1,889 people (36% of people who quit smoking) used a Health New Zealand vape kit.
Funding for a second round of vaping devices and pods
A second round of funding for vaping devices and nicotine pods has been approved after feedback from providers.
We have conducted an open request for quotes and identified a preferred provider. If contract negotiations are successful, devices and pods will be distributed to all Stop Smoking Services providers in January 2026.
The initiative will continue to be monitored closely for
• effectiveness
• safety
• impact on quit rates.'
Exploring this link reveals again the extreme and criminal understatement of risk by the government and the lack of real support services for quitting vaping.
Ms Costello's letter:
"
Hon Casey Costello
Minister of Customs
Minister for Seniors
Associate Minister of Health
Associate Minister of lmmigration
Associate Minister of Police
1 3 MAY 2026
Mary MacGibbon
Ref. CORR231
Dear Mary
Thank you for your correspondence of 20 March 2026 to the Prime Minister, Rt Hon
Christopher Luxon; the Deputy Prime Minister, Rt Hon Winston Peters; and the Associate
Minister of Health, Hon David Seymour, regarding vaping. Your email was forwarded to me for response as the issues you raise relate to my portfolio as Associate Minister of Health.
The Government is committed to reducing smoking rates and this means ensuring that
people have the practical tools and supports to quit, including access to vapes. Many
smokers have switched to vaping, contributing to recent drops in smoking rates. New
Zealand now has one of the lowest smoking rates in the world, ranking third lowest for daily
smoking in the OECD, according to the latest OECD Health at a Glance report. This
Government's message is clear; if you smoke, vaping is a less harmful alternative; if
you don't smoke, don't vape. While vapes and heated tobacco products are not without
harm, they are far less harmful than smoked tobacco.
A range of New Zealand health agencies have also signed up to a position statement on
vaping, which supports its role in smoking cessation. This position statement is available on
the Health New Zealand website, at: www.healthnz.qovt.nzlabout-us/what-we
do/programmes-and-initiatives/vaping. While these organisations see a role for vaping as a
smoking cessation tool, they also support regulation to keep vapes away from children and
young people.
Overall, there is strong evidence that vaping is more effective at helping people to quit
smoking than other forms of nicotine replacement therapy, and it is significantly less harmful
than cigarettes.
Yours sincerely
Hon Casey Costello
Associate Minister of Health
privateBaglBO4l,ParliamentBuildings,Wellington6160,NewZealand I +6448176821 lc.costello(@ministers.govt.nz
"
None of this letter justifies not telling vapers the risks of vaping. NZ is simply being encouraged to get hooked more on this highly toxic product.
Stating it is 'far less harmful' gives an impression that health risks of vaping are not extremely serious. The government knows the risks of COPD, cancer etc.
My letter to which Ms Costello responded had an attachent much the same as a previous update so I have not included that
"
From: Mary MacGibbon
Date: 20 March 2026 at 9:01:00 AM NZDT
To: Christopher Luxon <christopher.luxon@parliament.govt.nz>, David.Seymour@parliament.govt.nz, Winston.Peters@parliament.govt.nz, chris.hipkins@parliament.govt.nz, newstips@stuff.co.nz, news@rnz.co.nz
Subject: to stop NZ vaping in its tracks, the facts and how to quit, as stated by the top medical clinics and as US and Australian govts tell their citizens
Dear Messrs Luxon, Peters and Seymour
It appears you are still unaware of the hazards of vaping, or are OK with a high percentage of New Zealanders being harmed by a product the health risks of which they are not told and to which they have become heavily addicted, with the NZ government providing no support to quit, no 'off ramp'.
Politicians being unaware of a national epidemic which is a serious health and socioeconomic problem and from which the government makes considerable funds is of course completely inexcusable.
I am a retired lecturer in health sciences at various NSW universities, and this role included writing and giving units in postgraduate cardiothoracic courses for specialist nurses.
NZ is getting a very raw deal.
The following has also been provided to the media.
The attached article is longish, 12 pages, but hopefully is user friendly.
It contains what must be told to NZ at large, but especially to vapers.
Currently they are only clearly told about nicotine effects and are not given support to stop once hooked. Both are in essence criminal from a government, which with 'big tobacco' makes a lot of funds from the vaping epidemic in NZ and has had available to it from the start clear information about the chemicals in all vape aerosol being in concentrations known to cause harm, along with other toxic entities which are usually present. The emergence of serious diseases purely due to vaping is unfortunate but predictable, and the carcinogens in the heated aerosol together with other factors described mean that other insidious conditions are highly likely in the longer term. Note - insurance companies treat vaping and tobacco smoking the same in terms of risk to health..
NZ, the UK and Canada are outliers in that all have easy access to vapes, against WHO strong advice to tightly regulate or ban vapes, and all have persistent youth vaping epidemics.
That it is the much safer and necessary alternative to tobacco is a Philip Morris comment, but apart from that is completely wrong. The article summarises the reality according to the advice, data, information et al from the most authoritative medical clinics and specialist groups in the world. These groups state a completely different set of facts from out Min of Health, while of course recognising the considerable toxicity of tobacco. They have for years stated why vaping is too hazardous even as a tool to stop tobacco. (edit - add 'or do not advise its use.' As is stated in the attachment, vaping may be less harmful than smoking tobacco but, if used as a short term means of quitting smoking 1. serious risks should be stated clearly, and 2. robust help to overcome addiction to vaping be provided. This ideally involves quitting nicotine, or at least using safer nicotine replacement methods such as gum or patches.)
I hope you will given your collective considerable power help here.
Kind regards
Mary MacGibbon (PhD)"