Stephanie Worsop: Vaping has deadly parallels with tobacco and synnies

Vaping should have been regulated from the start. Photo / Getty Images

COMMENT:

I can see the allure of vaping.

The sweet smelling smoke, non-threatening, pocket-sized devices, the array of different flavours and strengths to choose from; it's a habit that can be tailored to anyone.

But therein lies the problem.

Vaping is being touted by New Zealand health officials as a safe and effective way to quit smoking - which it probably is. There are concerns following the deaths linked to vaping in the US but when used correctly, health officials say vaping is 95 per cent safer than smoking tobacco.

However the lack of regulations has allowed products to be marketed to non-smokers and children as well.

Available in almost every dairy, variety store and gas station, buying a vape is as simple as buying a pack of gum.

There's no gross images of the health side effects on its packaging and they're not hidden from sight the way cigarettes are.

Yes, there's an age restriction on nicotine products but as we learned in a special vaping feature published on Saturday, children as young as 12 in the region are getting their hands on these vapes and are puffing away to their heart's content.

In the feature we explored vaping's rise in popularity and whether it really was safe. The general consensus was for tobacco smokers, it's definitely the preferred option.

But without any long-term studies into its side effects, non-smokers are discouraged from picking the habit up.

I can't help but draw parallels between the rise in vaping and early attitudes towards tobacco and, more recently, synthetic cannabis.

Both industries initially had free rein to market their products and both have proven deadly further down the track, when addiction and the black market have made it near-impossible to eradicate.

The Ministry of Health says while there are no mandatory product safety standards for vaping liquid and devices, the Government planned to change the Smoke-free Environments Act 1990 to improve smokers' access to quality vaping and smokeless tobacco products, while protecting children and young people from associated risks.

New regulations could include banning harmful ingredients, implementing maximum nicotine levels and container size for refill liquid and defining standards for the manufacture of devices.

The timing for these changes depend on progress of the Bill which should be before Parliament in the next couple of months.

It's good the Government is making moves to regulate but in the time it takes to implement, I wonder how many more children and non-smokers will pick up vaping, forming an addiction that may or may not prove deadly years down the track?

We need to learn from the past and make sure safety and health are at the start of our conversations, not the end.