What to ask candidates - three simple questions.
'Hi (insert candidate name)
You believe you are suitable to undertake the heavy responsibility of managing the health and welfare of us, the New Zealanders.
Please state how you would respond to the current lack of each of the following three factors in the Ministry of Health, given the estimated half million who regularly vape and the recognised serious health risks from the practice.
1. Telling NZ vapers the risks, in addition to that of nicotine and as is their legal right to know.
2. Providing real support to quit vaping.
3. Providing options safer than vaping for quitting tobacco.
You could add: 4. Reducing availability of vapes much further. 5. Providing compensation for those harmed or who may have been harmed by their use of a highly addictive toxic product, the risks of which they were not told, other than that of addiction. 6. Banning the flavours and other factors designed to encourage young users and which are still present.
(A deserving candidate would be familiar with the issues, including the weakness of current regulations, and be able to suggest strategies and state intent to address them promptly and effectively. Ideally they would refer to overcoming nicotine addiction. Note - these changes in protocol, other than compensation, would be relatively inexpensive to implement, and would of course reduce harm and need for compensation. See below the risks known since vapes were first manufactured, and the ongoing NZ government advice re vaping.)
Refer to the US CDC, Mayo and Cleveland clinics material.
The citizens of Australia and the US are treated with respect.
NZ is encouraged to remain hooked on a highly addictive hazardous tobacco industry product.
Those promoting vaping here state 1. it helps quit tobacco and 2. risks are not known.
Re 1 - Vaping is highly effective in helping tobacco smokers switch but it is simply to another nicotine-laden poison, also inhaled and damaging to the lungs.
Re 2- This is a lie. Serious hazards of vaping have been known since they were first manufactured! Since then clinical evidence of such harm has been increasing.
All vape aerosols contain toxic chemicals in concentrations known to cause serious harm, ie the inflammatory agents of propylene glycol or similar compounds required to form the aerosol, or the carcinogenic aldehydes, including formaldehyde and acrolein, resulting from the heating of these in the vape device.
Most vape aerosols contain many more chemicals which present health hazards such as flavouring agents, heavy metal contamination etc and these are described in the material on Australian and US govt websites.
The NZ govt essentially lies about risks, with the message that tobacco is dangerous because of tar and carbon monoxide, and with zero mention of the toxic chemicals in vapes - see link below.
Major clinical authorities on lung health were stating extreme risks long ago eg American Cancer Council in 2019, and that vapes were too hazardous even as a tool to quit tobacco.
The US CDC, the most reputable respiratory specialist groups and clinics such as the Mayo and Cleveland Clinics all advise other safer methods to quit tobacco and advise not to vape.
Insurance companies treat risks from regular tobacco smoking and regular vaping the same.
NZ government information:
https://www.healthnz.govt.nz/health-topics/keeping-healthy/smoking-and-vaping/vaping-to-stop-smoking
American Lung Association information: https://www.lung.orgE-Cigarettes & Vaping
Adopting the Australian pharmacy only policy would be helpful re availability. Note, as more manifestations of harm emerge, even tighter control or banning of this tobacco industry dangerous product must follow and as advised years ago by WHO, unless the NZ govt is extremely corrupt, all powerful, and the legal system broken.