Northland man welcomes Ministry of Health's vape juice website

A Northland dairy farmer who makes vape juice in his sleep-out has welcomed a Ministry of Health initiative ahead of proposed legislation regarding e-cigarette products.

Bodie Newman said the Ministry's New Zealand-specific "Vaping Facts" website will help stub out fears around the alternative to smoking tobacco.

The liquid products are seen as a help in New Zealand becoming smokefree by 2025 but Newman, who cooks up his Branded Vapes in the sleepout at his Purua home, said there is still a lot of misinformation about the liquid replacement.

''One of my main concerns before starting this was the lack of transparency with how e-liquids were produced and what exactly went into them in New Zealand as it is still such a new industry.

''A lot of the cheaper fluids use standard food flavourings, some of these contain Diacetyl which is a form of alcohol linked with a condition called popcorn lung.''

The 36-year-old dairy farmer successfully quit smoking last year and has since encouraged hundreds of people to do likewise. He started the ''trial and error'' process of making his own after getting tired of buying inferior imported e-juices.

"I found that when I blended my own, the consistency was smoother and the taste stayed longer," he said. "Plus it helps to know exactly what is in my vape. This way I could ensure my blends were safe."

Newman makes five signature flavours and is in the process of creating more. He sells his brand online and at local outlets, and is currently in negotiations to supply a chain of vape stores nationwide.

He said he is looking forward to seeing more rules and regulations regarding the products sold in New Zealand to ensure people are aware of what goes into their e-liquids.

"The Ministry of Health website provides a source of information for something that is relatively new here. There has been a lot of misinformation circulated in the past and this has resulted in vaping getting a bad rap.

"In reality, the risks involved with vaping are far outweighed by those associated with smoking."

The new MOH website is https://www.vapingfacts.health.nz/