Evidence emerging about respiratory pathology seen in regular vapers is disturbing but predictable given the composition of the typical inhaled heated e-liquid with chemicals at concentrations known to cause harm.
The Government and corporations making money from sales in this context, and without a clear statement of risk, is chilling.
New Zealand children and most adults who vape are ignorant of the risks but are hooked on a product putting them at high risk of respiratory, cardiovascular and/or other system disease.
Mary MacGibbon (PhD), Miramar.
Have Aussies got it right?
It was good news to read in the Herald (June 17) that a poll in Australia found our Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon, to be the world leader most likely “to do the right thing regarding world affairs”.
My delight with this news was, however, tempered when I remembered that the Australian public had also held Dame Jacinda Ardern in high regard when she was our PM.
Let us hope that this time they have finally got it right.
Philip Lenton, Somerville.
Workplace safety
Having worked for over 46 years in the steelmaking industry, I have knowledge of three fatal incidents in my workplaces. These were all in the early years of my career, in the ′60s and ′70s.
From the early ′70s until 2005, when I retired, I was spared those experiences. It was because tightening workplace safety rules, regulations and procedures empowered inspectors to visit workplaces, which brought slapdash employers and employees before the courts.
Additionally, investigating minor incidents, followed by actions, has brought about a reduction in major incidents.
What Brooke van Velden regards as over-regulation will have saved many lives over the years. Yet she wants to wind back the clock to the bad old days.
Her decision makes one wonder what experience she has of industrial workplaces or workplace injuries more severe than a paper cut.
John Anderson, Hillsborough.
Radioactive waste fears
It’s been a long time coming, but here we are finally facing up to radioactive waste stored over decades and needing another chunk of land to store it on. Manawatū iwi have every right to be outraged at this pernicious move to build another facility to store this hidden poison, especially one that has a life span of centuries - and no guarantee of safety.
We have known for years that radioactive material is a danger to the way we live.
What is the answer? We’ve said no to nuclear power, but we want to have available the best medical care we can get. The trouble is, there is no safe place to store the radioactive waste. It only sets the country up for potential disasters, poisoning the land for centuries and upsetting the balance of nature.
Emma Mackintosh, Birkenhead.
Health system cuts
After reading the Herald article about our health system (June 16), I became very concerned about a dispute between Health Minister Simeon Brown and Treasury.
The crux of the matter relates to a difference of opinion between Brown and Treasury over the Health NZ budget and spending cuts.
Like it or loathe it, the Treasury attracts some very smart people. The Treasury officials have said that in order to reduce the deficit to $200 million this year, Health NZ needs to find additional savings of $900m over and above savings made in 2024/2025.
Those figures should concern all people, and in particular the aged and those people who have serious health issues.
None of us wants to see Health NZ reduced to cutting services.
Johann Nordberg, Paeroa.
Wait-time reductions
Using the private health sector to accomplish wait-time reductions for bread-and-butter surgeries is a sensible solution.
I struggle to understand why there is so much pushback.
Our surgeon pool is small; they work across both sectors, that’s just how it is.
Who can argue that having elective surgery in a timely fashion is wrong.
John Ford, Taradale.
Lesson in school attendance
Pleasure has been expressed at regular school attendance figures being 66%, a rise of 5%. With school education being free, surely these figures are unacceptable. If they were expressed instead as a regular absence of 34%, they might sound less gratifying.
There should be some penalty for those parents who do not achieve fair and regular school attendance for their offspring. This is vitally important for both the children and the future of New Zealand.
Dr Hylton Le Grice, Remuera.
