Thursday, December 12, 2024

New vaping rules to blow in from 21 September

New regulations to limit youth vaping will come into effect on 21 September this year, Health Minister, Ayesha Verrall, has announced.  

The Minister said all vaping devices sold in New Zealand will now need to have removable batteries to make them safer.

“We also want vapes as far from the minds and reach of children and young people as possible, so any locations within 300 metres of schools and marae will be off-limits for new specialist vape shops,” she said.

From 21 September, vapes will also need child safety mechanisms, and names like ‘cotton candy’ and ‘strawberry jelly donut’ will be prohibited. Only generic names which accurately describe the flavours will be permitted, such as ‘orange’ or ‘berry.’  

“We have also reduced the maximum concentration of nicotine allowed in vapes in line with the latest evidence.  The maximum concentration of nicotine allowed in single-use vapes is reduced to 20mg/mL The maximum nicotine concentration is set at 28.5mg/mL for reusable vaping products that contain nicotine only in salt form,” said Minister Verrall.

“We have set the maximum nicotine levels to balance the need for sufficient nicotine to be an effective smoking cessation device, while limiting the risk of nicotine addiction, especially for young people, and particularly from cheap single-use vaping products.

“The impact of these regulations will continue to be monitored. Nothing is off the table in terms of what we need to do to make sure we see a reduction in youth vaping while retaining sufficient tools for smoking cessation.

“We’re creating a future where tobacco products are no longer addictive, appealing or as readily available, and the same needs to apply to vaping,” she said.

Latest Articles