Vape-Free Kids NZ

At Vape-Free Kids NZ we are very lucky to have a number of expert advisors who can provide evidence-based research and scientific information on our group. One of our advisors , Dr Kelly Burrowes, Associate Professor at The University of Auckland Bioengineering Institute has published this article today questioning the government's decision to have excise tax in Heated Tobacco Products (HTPs). She says "New Zealand has one of the highest youth and young adult vaping rates in the world with 15 percent of 15-17-year-olds being daily vapers and a quarter of 18-24-year-olds vaping daily." "You know the one about how those who don’t know the past are condemned to repeat it? Given the recent short history of vaping, I struggle to understand what the Government hasn’t learned, and why it would give HTPs the tax break it has. " https://lnkd.in/g7WU2ykQ

Astonishing our Associate Minister of Health is blaming parents rather than stepping up and taking action on youth vaping. In an interview this week on Reality Check Radio, Minister Casey Costello says: "If you can't stop a child living in your house from vaping then I don't think the government can do much to stop your child from vaping". So the Minister tasked with addressing this threat to the health of our kids is essentially washing their hands of any responsibility. Full interview here: https://lnkd.in/gAU--nqB

Great work Rachel Thomas uncovering more shocking details of the way this government is prioritising tobacco companies' interests over the health of our people.

This week the Ministry of Education New Zealand announced they are reaching out to schools to ask for ideas and resources around youth vaping as they seek to take "further action" on the issue. Tammy Downer and Charyl Robinson from Vape-Free Kids NZ told The Press that although they welcome the ministry's involvement, they question how much schools can do when there are so many vape retailers operating. "They are fighting against a really big machine, there's only so much you can do when the purveyors of addiction are still allowed to operate in the way they can". Avonside Girls' High School Principal Catherine Law "also welcomed possible ministry support in the war but said a nationwide approach was needed to stamp out addiction." https://lnkd.in/g33qqh_R

Hang on a minute... wasn't the justification for all these vape stores in our communities to help smokers quit? So why are vape stores selling nitrous oxide? Can't recall any smoking cessation practictioners recommending NOS as a way to stop smoking...and since when do you visit a vape store for your catering supplies? A quick google shows there are plenty of nz vape stores selling cream canisters, including whopping industrial sized ones, equivalent to 260 silver "nangs". Here's just one example: https://lnkd.in/gdDURFVe Vape-Free Kids NZ is calling for a reduction in vape outlets (as promised pre-election by Christopher Luxon ). Not only would that limit the accessibility and prevalence of vapes in our communities for our children, but it would also make it viable for enforcement officials to keep tabs on unscrupulous vape stores including those selling NOS. https://lnkd.in/gBfCeicP @everyone

Confused about the issues around youth vaping in Aotearoa? Wondering what the impacts are on our young people? And what about new products like nicotine pouches? Highly recommend checking out Duncan Garner 's Vaping Special podcast where he interviews Dr Lucy Hardie Research Fellow at The University of Auckland. A deep dive into why our government needs to take urgent action. https://lnkd.in/ga-thY-B

Guyon Espiner has uncovered that the government set aside up to $216 million to cover tax cuts on Heated Tobacco Products. Also "because this product currently has a monopoly market in New Zealand, the extent to which a reduction in excise duty on HTPs would be passed on to consumers via lower retail prices is unclear" says the report. https://lnkd.in/gUxkA_zK

Action for Smokefree 2025 (ASH) states on its website that it is a "leading independent campaign voice for high quality tobacco control measures" and that "it does not take funds from tobacco, pharmaceutical, nicotine or vaping industries." https://lnkd.in/gTmXse4t However an investigation by Bridie Witton in Stuff, which screened on ThreeNews last night, reveals ASH Director Ben Youdan's visit to Australia in February, was coordinated by Dr Alex Wodak - an Australian professor who founded a group which has "taken money from vape businesses, and whose founding chair has advocated for vaping areas in schools." Whilst on that trip, Ben Youdan did this interview on SkyNews advocating against Australia's tighter restrictions on vapes and instead talking about the success of the NZ approach to vape regulations: https://lnkd.in/gBxMeP7y Vape-Free Kids NZ are extremely concerned that the Director of an organisation which receives funding from the Ministry of Health New Zealand for the Annual Year 10 snapshot survey into youth smoking and vaping has been revealed to have links to the pro-vaping lobby in Australia. https://lnkd.in/grqg7aWP

The latest briefing from the Public Health Communication Centre on the government's move to halve excise tax on Heated Tobacco Products (HTPs) lays bare hypocrisy of the Associate Minister's policy decisions. "Ms Costello described the move as a “trial”. However, she had previously criticised denicotinisation, the reduction in tobacco outlets, and the smokefree generation, as experimental and unproven, despite the strong evidence and arguments supporting each measure." "The Associate Health Minister needs to provide greater transparency in her decision making so that persistent concerns she is pursuing the tobacco industry’s agenda, rather than public health goals, can be dispelled." https://lnkd.in/gztgJyT4

Yesterday was a busy day for Vape-Free Kids NZ adding our voice to the chorus of opposition around Associate Minister of Health, Casey Costello's appalling decision to increase access to nicotine and tobacco products in NZ. While our Wellington Co-Founder Charyl Robinson was live on RNZ s The Panel, her interview from earlier today was screening on Three News. And to round off, she also featured in The Press and Stuff podcast, Newsable. Not a bad effort! Thank you Charyl for getting the message out there (on all three platforms on Stuffs new format in one day!) that our kids are more important than Big Tobacco profits. We are also so grateful to have the voices of health professionals and academics working in this space to advocate for our kids on this issue. The Smokefree Expert Advisory Group (Serpa) at Health Coalition Aotearoa , Professor Janet Hoek and team at Aspire Aotearoa and the team at the Public Health Communication Centre are among the many organisations who have all put out statements opposing Costello's actions. Vape-Free Kids NZ has always been about bringing people together to create a stronger collective voice. Now more than ever, we need to keep raising that voice to counter the narrative that widening access to nicotine and tobacco products is all about "harm reduction". No, it's all about profits at the expense of our kids' health. We urge anyone who shares our concern to please write to your MP and tell them we need an Associate Minister of Health not an Associate Minister for Tobacco. RNZ The Panel https://lnkd.in/gzxtGQgC Three News https://lnkd.in/g4MATh3i And the excellent interview with Professor Chris Bullen https://lnkd.in/gDj54k6X The Press https://lnkd.in/gmBvF7mk Podcast https://lnkd.in/g-MWhGH6 (At approx 8.30)