Francesca Rudkin: I'm disappointed with Health Minister Ayesha Verrall

I'm disappointed with Health Minister Ayesha Verrall.

The Government announced they would take action to reduce the number of young people taking up and becoming addicted to vaping. It was an opportunity to put much-needed regulation in place around vaping, to catch up with more proactive countries such as Australia.

While the initiatives announced yesterday will go some way to making it more difficult for youngsters to get their hands on vapes, it does not go far enough to seriously deal with this wide spread issue.  

The new moves announced yesterday to curb youth vaping include cracking down on disposable vapes. Now this is the one initiative that I think will make a difference. I think this is a really good move.

The Government also announced no new vape shops within 300 metres of schools or a marae. People can walk more than 300 meters is the first thing I'd say. And what about removing the ones that are already close to schools and marae.  

Sometimes there are several options already within maybe 500 metres, not adding any more is not going to make any difference. They can still walk 300 meters or 500 metres and they can choose from three vape shops.

And the third initiative announced is a change in the names of flavours available to consumers. Once again, pointless and will have no impact whatsoever. They're not idiots, teenagers and children. They're aware that there's a name change. You just ask for the same name. No thought has gone into maybe removing the most popular flavours off the market.

So this announcement from the Government is a token gesture.

It's politicking before the election to make it look like they are taking action, but there is no action on the level of nicotine in vapes, reducing the number of vaping outlets that we already have, or raising the age, you can buy a vape.

There's certainly no talk of making vaping prescription only.  

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