NZ TO BAN DISPOSABLE VAPES
New Zealand’s health minister made a big announcement on Tuesday that would have an effect on the health of millions of people.
Aysha Verrall announced that the country will soon ban the sale of disposable vapes.
“Too many young people are vaping, which is why we’re making a number of moves to stop that happening.”
She also said that new vape shops won’t be allowed near schools or Maori meeting places, known as marae.
Verrall said the aim of the ban is to strike a balance between preventing young people from starting to use vapes and allowing people to use them as an aid to quitting smoking.
This announcement follows the country’s controversial announcement only six months ago when the health minister announced that the country will make cigarettes permanently unavailable to anyone currently aged under 14.
According to a 2021 study by the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation, nearly one in five school-aged teenagers vape at least once a day in New Zealand.
Although e-cigarettes were initially introduced as a less-harmful replacement for traditional cigarettes, new research has shown vapes can also be highly addictive.
Image credit: Vape HK