Poll shows 68% of New Zealanders want e-cigarettes banned

According to today's news from the New Zealand Herald, more than two-thirds of New Zealanders want e-cigarettes banned following new legislation in Australia that only allows e-cigarettes to be prescribed.

A public opinion poll asked, "Should we ban recreational e-cigarettes?" showing that 68% of respondents agreed, while 27% disagreed.

Pediatrician Colette Muir expressed extreme concern about the level of e-cigarette use among New Zealand youth. "While the health policy intentions regarding e-cigarettes are to reduce smoking, it is now clear that e-cigarettes are causing significant harm to the tamariki and rangatahi of Aotearoa," Muir said, referring to children and their families. "More work needs to be done to prevent non-smoking youth from using e-cigarettes."

Muir stated: "We are concerned that a staggering number of high school students are trying or starting to use e-cigarettes because their friends are doing it, and they hear it is safe and are curious. Although the e-cigarette amendment that took effect in November 2022 aimed to reduce the appeal and availability of e-cigarettes to youth, we believe more work is needed to prevent youth from using e-cigarettes, especially those containing nicotine."

Health Minister Ayesha Verrall stated that vaping is important for helping smokers quit, but a proper balance needs to be maintained to ensure that young people do not develop this habit. "We have not yet found the right balance," Verrall said.

National Party's Christopher Luxon expressed an open attitude towards everything, including a ban. "I really think the vaping setup here in New Zealand is wrong. I really hope we can take a step back and really examine them closely."

"It is affecting our youth. Initially, they were introduced to help people quit smoking, but it has actually created a whole new layer of addiction for people," he said.