New Zealand will ban single-use vapes and tighten regulations on outlets to reduce harm for young people, Health Minister Ayesha Verrall said.
All vaping devices sold in New Zealand will need to have removable or replaceable batteries, once regulations are in place later this year, she said Tuesday in Wellington. Vapes will need child safety mechanisms and the government won’t allow new outlets within 300 meters (330 yards) of schools or traditional indigenous Maori meeting houses.
The moves follow similar moves in neighboring Australia, which in May said it will restrict the sale and use of e-cigarettes and ban single-use vapes. Both nations see vaping as a means of reducing smoking, but have also identified the risk they pose to younger people.
“We recognize we need to strike a balance between preventing young people from starting to vape, at the same time as having vapes available as a cessation tool for those who genuinely want to give up smoking,” Verrall said. “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.”
The government said all vaping devices sold in New Zealand will need to have removable or replaceable batteries, as well as a child safety mechanism. Brand names that may be potentially enticing for young people will also be prohibited.
Verrall said the regulation changes will be introduced in August, with a subsequent lead-in time of three months for disposable and six months for reusable vapes for the industry to make sure products are compliant with the law.
Earlier this year, legislation came into force in New Zealand to raise the legal smoking age by one year every year, effectively banning the sale of tobacco to people born after 2008.
