New Zealand Bans Disposable Vapes From June to Curb Teenages

By chineseherald.co.nz reported on June 16th that starting from June 17th, New Zealand officially banned the sale of disposable vapes and implemented a series of restrictive new regulations, including a ban on advertising, membership based marketing, and discounted prices. This policy aims to curb the increasing use of vapes among teenagers and reduce environmental pollution.

New Zealand Bans Disposable Vapes From June to Curb Teenages (2)

Main measures: Ban the sale of disposable vape, prohibit advertising, promotions, and online sales.
Policy objective: To address the rising smoking rate among young people and the pollution caused by electronic waste.
Expert advice: Strengthen taxation, restrict sales points, provide smoking cessation support, and implement recycling mechanisms.
Industry News: Before the ban, there was a large-scale sale, and Vuse website used “buy at a low price” to clear inventory.
Potential risks: Concerns about the expansion of the black market and insufficient environmental protection facilities.
Implementation challenge: Regulatory intensity will determine policy effectiveness, especially in youth protection and environmental governance.

Public health experts generally support this measure, believing that banning disposable products will help reduce adolescent addiction to vapes. Dr. Jude Ball from the University of Otago pointed out:
Banning the sale of vape is a key step in reducing the use of young people and can also help smokers stay away from incentives.

She and the research group ASPIRE emphasized that a ban alone is far from enough, and that it is necessary to levy consumption tax, restrict sales outlets around schools, provide smoking cessation support for teenagers, and increase law enforcement efforts.

Professor Chris Bullen from the University of Auckland pointed out that the practice of selling disposable e-cigarettes at low prices in large quantities before the ban takes effect is “extremely unethical”, which may encourage more teenagers to hoard them due to their cheap prices.

According to the upcoming new regulations, vape will no longer be sold at discounted prices, nor will they be promoted to customers through email or online channels.

Calvin Cochran, from the anti smoking advocacy group Vape Free Kids, pointed out that the e-cigarette industry was initially packaged as a tool to help quit smoking, but in reality, it has adopted strategies such as mass sales, promotions, and SEO marketing to attract users, especially young people. He said:
Advertising restrictions may have a more direct impact than product bans, but the industry will always find ways to circumvent regulations.

Jonathan Devery, the chairman of the New Zealand Electronic Cigarette Industry Association, understands this, but reminds us to be vigilant about the expansion of the black market. He pointed out that Australia already has an vape black market equivalent to 2 billion New Zealand dollars (12 billion US dollars) in size, with many illegal brands also flowing into New Zealand. He called on the government to invest sufficient resources after the ban to ensure effective enforcement, otherwise it will leave room for non compliant sales.
We do not oppose a ban, but it needs to be accompanied by regulation. Vape retailers pay high regulatory fees to the Ministry of Health every year and deserve strong enforcement mechanisms to ensure compliance.

From an environmental perspective, experts are concerned that the ban on the sale of disposable vape may also lead to new waste issues. Due to the fact that most of these products contain batteries and electronic components, without proper disposal, they may end up in landfills or even street flower beds. Professor Bren said that they had found a large amount of vape waste during a survey on CBD streets. He believes that current policies still overlook the environmental dimension.

Regarding this, Deville suggests expanding the recycling mechanism for rechargeable devices, establishing a manufacturer’s scrap responsibility system, and educating consumers on the proper recycling of cartridges and batteries. He believes that turning to vape products with child locks and detachable batteries is a direction to improve environmental friendliness and safety.

Casey Costello, Deputy Minister of Health, stated that banning disposable vapes will effectively reduce youth usage and minimize waste at the source.
We have fully communicated with retailers and provided six months’ advance notice of regulatory changes, so consumers are unlikely to hoard for a long time due to promotions.

At present, although the usage rate of vape among young people in New Zealand has slightly decreased, 9% of 10th grade students still use vapes daily. Experts believe that the ability to sustainably curb this phenomenon will depend on the government’s enforcement of new regulations and the rigor of subsequent supervision.

Ricky, Chief Operating Officer of Dank Smoke, stated:
Vape as a new type of tobacco product. Both fruit flavored vapes and cannabis vapes have certain addictive effects on the human body. Although less harmful than traditional cigarettes. But teenagers are in the stage of growth and are the hope for the future of a nation. It is very necessary to prohibit teenagers from using vape.
Vape factories and manufacturers can not attract teenagers for profit.

Reference file from: 本周二起，新西兰正式禁售一次性电子烟！ | 新西兰中文先驱网