Far North Council approves smokefree policy amid vaping health concerns

The Far North District Council is seeking to adopt a smoking/vape-free policy for the region that will designate council-owned or administered public spaces as smokefree and vape-free. Photo / 123RF

• Social housing and homes for the elderly are the only vape-free and smokefree public spaces in the Far North District.
• The Far North District Council is seeking approval to develop a smokefree/vape-free policy for public spaces.
• A recent study linked vaping to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, prompting calls for stricter regulations.

Social housing or homes for the elderly are the only vape-free and smokefree council-owned public spaces in the Far North district.

This means people can vape and smoke at council playgrounds, sports parks, bus stops, public swimming pools, beaches and more.

That is now set to change after the Far North District Council approved a motion during today’s council meeting to develop a smokefree/vapefree policy for the district.

The council is the only one of Northland’s three district councils yet to adopt a vaping policy.

More than 50 other local councils last year had policies that designated council areas as smoke and vape-free.

Far North Mayor Moko Tepania said he gave up vaping after seeing the item on the agenda, joking: “That is why I am a bit grumpy sometimes.”

He said he was fully behind the motion and encouraged other council members to lead by example.

“We are late to the party, our cousin councils already put stuff like this on the line and it only makes sense to have a policy like this.”

Tepania wanted the council to lead by example.

“Like I would like our staff to stop smoking and vaping in front of our offices and use the smoke shed in the back,” he said.

“It’s important if we are going to be regulators of a smokefree/vapefree policy.”

The Far North District Council’s policy would allow it to designate council-owned or administered public spaces as smokefree and to ensure signage identified the areas, as well as to commit to partnering with relevant stakeholders to promote the areas.

Roger Ackers, group manager for planning and policy, said today’s council meeting was also considering a staff recommendation to create a standalone smokefree/vape-free policy for the Far North.

If the recommendation went ahead, council staff would engage with Health NZ Te Whatu Ora, other organisations and the wider community to design the policy and look into costs and logistics, he said.

A draft policy and an implementation plan would then be presented to the council for consultation and adoption.

A research report investigating a smokefree/vape-free policy for the Far North stated that the socio-demographic make-up of the district presented unique challenges for the population.

“Smoking rates are higher in the Far North than nationally,” it said.

“In the 2023 Census, 13% of those aged 15 or more from the Far North said they smoked tobacco regularly, compared with 8% nationally.”

The report said a smokefree/vape-free policy might potentially impact all community members as well as visitors who might be exposed to second-hand tobacco and vape smoke in public places owned or administered by the council.

“A standalone non-regulatory policy will align with the approach of other Northland local councils and with other councils across New Zealand.

“It will provide clear guidance regarding council-owned and administered areas where smoking is discouraged.”

The council’s decision to consider a vaping/smoking policy comes as a recent study published in the Nicotine and Tobacco Research Journal has, for the first time, linked vaping to a life-limiting and irreversible lung disease.

The study found e-cigarette use was strongly associated with increased new diagnoses of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

COPD is the fourth-highest cause of death in New Zealand.

Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ chief executive Letitia Harding said the study confirmed what was long suspected, that vaping was not just risky but was dangerous to people’s health.

Asthma and Respiratory Foundation chief executive Letitia Harding.

“For years, we’ve been gaslighted into believing vaping is harmless – or at least ‘less harmful’ than cigarettes. Meanwhile, we’ve watched teen vaping rates skyrocket," she said.

“Vaping is not harmless – it never has been – and this study shows it causes long-term irreversible lung damage.”

Harding said the study, which tracked 250,000 people over about three and a half years, should be a significant wake-up call to the Government to tighten regulations.

“Let’s stop pretending we’re balancing harm reduction with consumer freedom. Vaping isn’t harm reduction, it’s harm transfer.”

Kathrine Clarke, director of health promotion at Te Whatu Ora, said the organisation remained committed to addressing vaping nationwide, particularly among youth.

“[We] are running a number of campaigns and initiatives to support youth to remain smokefree and vapefree.”

People can learn more about vaping and access support at Vaping Facts. Quitline is also available to support people of all ages to quit vaping and smoking.