Tauranga dairies oppose vaping restrictions, loss of flavours

Bay of Plenty dairy owners worry their best-selling flavours will be taken off their shelves under proposed laws.

If passed, the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products (Vaping)
Amendment Bill will restrict the sale of flavours besides tobacco, mint and menthol.

The bill would also place age restrictions on the sale of vaping products and tighten rules about vaping products' packaging, advertising and sponsorship and safety requirements.

The Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products (Vaping) Amendment Bill proposes a raft of new restrictions. Photo / File

The Health Select Committee has published submissions on the bill after it was presented to Parliament earlier this year.

A submission written by Bureta and Maungatapu superettes said some customers quit smoking because of the range of vaping flavours on the market.

"The berry flavour is very popular.

"Now you are going to say we cannot be part of the vaping products? When we [are] still selling tobacco? This doesn't seem fair at all."

A submission from Bureta and Maungatapu superettes said some customers quit smoking because of the range of vaping flavours on the market. Photo / File

Kulraj Singh, manager of Dairy264, sent a submission with similar points.

It said the dairy would lose a lot of money from the loss of flavours and reduced sales of other items vapers bought when visiting, such as food and drinks.

"This will be a huge shame ... [we] might have to close. The costs for running a small business are already very hard."

Toi Te Ora, the public health unit for the Bay of Plenty and Lakes DHBs, wrote a submission largely supporting the bill.

"This legislation is urgently needed. We would like to see the draft legislation strengthened to better protect young people from becoming addicted to nicotine through vaping."

The unit's submission said it was "interested in the potential for vaping and smokeless tobacco products to help adults to quit smoking" but there was "emerging evidence about the risks to non-smokers and young people".

"These include the potential for nicotine addiction and the impact of nicotine itself on cognitive development in children and young people, the increased risk that non-smokers who vape will begin to smoke conventional cigarettes, respiratory and cardiovascular health impact, and the need to protect people from the as-yet-unknown long-term impacts of using these products."

It said vaping products should be "restricted to R18 specialist vape shops and
pharmacies, and through smoking cessation services" and removed from "generic retailers such as dairies, petrol stations and supermarkets".

The unit suggested the bill be strengthened to stop people buying the regulated products on behalf of minors.

It also said, "online sales and marketing to children and young people need to be addressed".

Toi Te Ora wrote there was "good evidence that many people experience barriers to using vaping to quit".

"All retailers must provide their staff with accredited training in smoking cessation so that
good quality advice can be provided ... proper technical and personal support is needed. This could include online or telephone support."

It also said the bill should "explicitly disallow vaping in vehicles with children under 18 years of age".

The Health Select Committee's report on submissions is due by June 2.