Vapes more addictive than smoking, Northland quit-smoking trust says

A Northland quit-smoking organisation inundated by people trying to quit vaping does not want the Government to promote vapes as a cigarette alternative.

The incoming Government’s smokefree laws repeal has already been heavily criticised by Northland leaders, emergency doctors and residents, alongside national and international experts.

The changes unwind what were to be world-leading rules to restrict the number of retailers allowed to sell cigarettes, ban those born after 2008 from buying them and cut the amount of nicotine allowed in tobacco.

Health Minister and Whangārei MP Dr Shane Reti said the Government was still committed to reducing smoking rates in New Zealand, with vaping being a primary mechanism to achieve this.

But the changes to smokefree laws and promotion of vaping has alarmed workers who see the negative impacts of both cigarettes and vapes.

Jenny Galpin, manager of Whangārei Matua Whangai Charitable Trust, said its quit-smoking service has experienced a strong increase in the number of clients wanting help to quit vaping.

The trust is not funded to help vapers, unless they also smoke cigarettes, she said.

Vapes are highly addictive because of the way they are continuously used, unlike cigarettes which have to be stubbed out, Galpin said.

Vapes attract young people, with principals seeing pupils as young as 8 vaping in schools.

Studies have found nicotine levels in vapes are not what they say on the packet, making many much higher than cigarettes, and young people have found ways to make the nicotine level even higher, she said.

Smoking cessation practitioner Krystal Ngawiki said some teenagers have overdosed from these nicotine concoctions, with two requiring hospital care after passing out and foaming at the mouth.

Galpin said if the Government wants to use vaping as a tool for quitting cigarettes, it should make it prescription-only, like some other cessation medicines.

Jenny Galpin, manager of Whangārei Matua Whangai Charitable Trust, is encouraging whānau to come to the trust’s smokefree celebration day, to learn more about its smokefree and vape-free stance. Photo / Michael Cunningham.

She has emailed Reti suggesting this, and he said he would pass it on to Associate Health Minister Casey Costello, who is from NZ First and has been delegated the smokefree portfolio.

But Galpin also wants the Government to continue its push for New Zealand to be smokefree and vape-free by 2025.

This includes making see the nicotine replacement therapy tools successfully used by the trust - such as a mouth spray, gum and inhalator - more readily available from medical centres.

To help send a clear message to the Government, Whangārei Matua Whangai is holding a smokefree, vape-free whānau celebration day on Saturday.

Held at Hihiaua Cultural Centre on Herekino St from 10am to 3pm, the free event will include bouncy castles, games, music, prizes, free kai and information about smoking cessation.

Galpin said fun activities for tamariki will be at the heart of the free event, as most people want to be smokefree for their kids.

Meanwhile, a Northland grandmother plans to continue her weekly peaceful protests against the Government’s smokefree repeal.

Helen James from Paparoa is against the changes as she does not want her young grandchildren to ever be able to buy cigarettes.

She hopes more people will join her in Maungaturoto, the home of newly elected Northland MP Grant McCallum, from 10am to 11am on Thursdays and outside Reti’s Whangārei office from 10am to 11am on Fridays.

James said her first week of protests last week were well-supported by people going past.

Reti previously said the Government is not walking away from long-standing commitments to reduce smoking rates.

However, there were concerns Labour’s latest changes would have increased the black market for tobacco and escalated ram raids by concentrating retailers down to just a few suppliers.

When asked specifically about vaping, the questions were referred to Costello, who did not respond before deadline.

Te Whatu Ora’s vaping position is it is not for children and young people, nor for non-smokers, but it can help some people quit smoking.

It says vaping is not harmless but is less harmful than smoking cigarettes, and the best thing for health is to be smokefree and vape-free.

Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on health and business. She has more than 20 years in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference to Northlanders.