Vape Park supervisor Matt Swinn says he and his partner will lose their jobs if there is a flavour ban. Photo / Stephen Parker
Vape Park supervisor Matt Swinn says he and his partner will lose their jobs if there is a flavour ban. Photo / Stephen Parker
Children as young as 11 using e-cigarettes has prompted calls for a restriction on flavours, and Bay of Plenty principals are also concerned about students bringing vapes to school.
Tauranga vape retailers, however, say those concerned with children buying vapes have nothing to worry about.
Vapes, or e-cigarettes, are battery-powered devices that heat a flavoured liquid "e-juice" to a vapour to be inhaled.
A Bill is to be introduced to Parliament shortly that will include regulation ability to restrict flavours which attract or appeal to young people and children.
Tauranga vape retailer Harinder Singh, who is the manager of Shosha on Cameron Rd, said his store was strictly R18 and anyone entering the store who looked underage would be asked to present ID, so there was no way children would be able to buy vapes themselves.
The manager of Tauranga vape retailer Shosha says staff are strict with ID checks, so children buying vapes is not an issue. Photo / Esme O'Rafferty
"Outside our store, we display a big sign [that says] 'no ID, no entry'. Some people come in and ask for things, but the main duty of my staff is first to check their ID.
"If they're 18-plus, we're happy to serve them, but if they're not we simply deny them."
Singh said he did not want to comment on the effect that limiting vape flavours would have on his business until the Government had said officially what the new legislation would entail.
"Right now, it's just rumours," he said.
The manager of Vape Merchant on Cameron Rd also said was impossible for underage customers to enter their store.
"No, we're very strict on ID here, so definitely not," she said.
Tauranga Intermediate School principal Cameron Mitchell said some students had bought vapes to school but vaping was not an issue with his students.
"It's not a serious concern for us at all. We've had the odd vape pipe that's come with someone to show their friends what it's like, but that's been the extent of it," he said.
Rotorua Intermediate School principal Garry de Thierry says teachers have caught students vaping in two incidents earlier this year. Photo / Andrew Warner
Mount Maunganui Intermediate School principal Lisa Morrissey agreed.
"It's not an issue that we've had. It's not something that's currently happening here."
Ōtūmoetai Intermediate School principal Henk Popping said while vaping at his school was not an issue, he was concerned by the idea of all people vaping, not just children.
"Smoking and vaping haven't really featured in our need to talk to the kids, and if we did notice it we'd act on it pretty quickly," he said.
"I'm concerned about all people vaping, given what's happened overseas with people dying. I guess we all need to keep an eye on that from a health perspective.
"From our students' point of view, we haven't had any issues."
In Rotorua, however, there were concerns that limiting the flavours of e-cigarettes would not stop children from finding and using them. Others were concerned It would cripple the industry and turn people back to smoking.
Vape Park supervisor Matt Swinn says he and his partner will lose their jobs if there is a flavour ban. Photo / Stephen Parker
Rotorua Vape Park supervisor Matt Swinn, whose partner works at E-Juice Bar, said they would both lose their jobs. Both their workplaces sell hundreds of flavoured liquids.
He said the vaping industry would go under and some people who used vaping to quit smoking cigarettes would return to the habit.
"Why not have a habit that's not killing you and have something that tastes nice at the same time?"
He said limiting flavours would not stop children from finding or using vapes in the same way children previously accessed cigarettes.
Rotorua Intermediate School principal Garry de Thierry said there had been two incidents with students vaping earlier this year, and both were caught by teachers on duty.
Kaitao Intermediate School principal Phil Palfrey said although vaping could help people stop smoking, the flavours needed to be limited.
Kaitao Intermediate School principal Phil Palfrey says although vaping could help people stop smoking, the flavours need to be limited. Photo / Ben Fraser
"It's going to be like cigarettes when people thought smoking was healthy."
Dianne Dairy owner Sukhsit Singh said some children, aged 11 and 13, had approached him with a vape in their hand as they asked him for a refill.
When Singh said no, they told him they would pay him $15 extra for the liquid.
Dr Phil Shoemack, from Toi Te Ora Public Health, said there was evidence to suggest flavoured vapes, in particular, might help people quit smoking and vaping was a useful harm -eduction tool.
Dr Phil Shoemack, from Toi Te Ora Public Health, says there is evidence to suggest flavoured vapes, in particular, might help people quit smoking. Photo / Stephan Parker
He said vapes needed to be regulated but it was up to the Government to decide what form such regulation should take.
Ministry of Health tobacco control acting manager Sally Stewart said proposals in the bill were designed to ensure vaping products were available to those who needed them while protecting children and young people.
In September, New Zealand's director-general of health, Dr Ashley Bloomfield, said the bill on vape regulation would limit flavours to tobacco, menthol and mint.
Vaping to quit smoking
Ex-smoker Joe Fraser used a flavoured vape to quit smoking seven months ago and fears a ban on flavours would create a black market as people chase the sweet taste.
He said any restriction would hold deadly consequences for cigarette smokers and ex-smokers who now vaped.
Fraser was a smoker for 25 years and, after multiple failed attempts at quitting, he took up vaping and has been off cigarettes for seven months. He said the flavours helped him make the switch from cigarettes.
Joe Fraser credits kicking his 25-year smoking habit to vaping. Photo / Stephen Parker
Since then, his middle-of-the-night asthma attacks have stopped and he said he has more energy and strength in his daily life.
"I am sure a lot of people would not have gone to vaping if it wasn't for the variety of flavours."
