In New Zealand, government-funded tobacco control services could still lose appeal if they refuse to help people wishing to try e-cigarettes. This situation is also delicate because the legality of the sale of nicotine e-cigarettes in New Zealand remains uncertain.
PENDING A LEGALIZATION OF THE SALE OF VAPING PRODUCTS WITH NICOTINE
It's not easy to ask tobacco control services to get involved in vaping if the sale of electronic cigarettes containing nicotine remains unclear. Indeed, the previous government said that nicotine vaping products could not be legally imported and sold in New Zealand.
However, the end of 2017 was hopeful with a promise of new regulations allowing the sale of vaping products that contain nicotine. Last week, the national deputy Nicky Wagner, who defended this promise of change, introduced a private member's bill to bring this subject back to the fore.
Marewa Glover, a Massey University professor who supports vaping said that six months after the new government's tenure began, she still did not know the position of the Minister for Health, Jenny Salesa, on the electronic cigarette.
She adds : " Two weeks ago, Judge Patrick Butler dismissed a Department of Health complaint against tobacco giant Philip Morris on the grounds that the IQOS product could not be considered a chewable product that would be banned in smoke-free environments . His ruling could also apply to vaping products with nicotine, meaning they could be legally imported and sold in New Zealand. »
“THE VAPE COMMUNITY TAKEN ACTION TO FILL A GAP! "
In one new research paper de Trish Fraser de Global Public Health and teachers Marewa Glover et Penelope Truman, the perspectives of the vapers in response to government and public health responses were put forward.
In this study, Professor Glover says the ban on vaping products with nicotine and calls by some public health academics to further restrict access to vaping products have forced vapers to form self-help groups. " The vapers have set up online forums to support people wishing to quit smoking for vaping. Newly formed individuals and groups organized vaping meetings in supportive settings where smokers could learn to smoke. »
« When they heard that general practitioners and government-funded smoking cessation services were refusing to support people in their choice to switch to e-cigarettes, the vape community stepped in to fill the void. They started to provide some kind of alternative withdrawal support. One by one, they were helping family, friends, co-workers and even strangers on the street, with advice on how to switch to vaping. A group has even set up referrals across the country to provide support to new vapers in their region. »
«When Nicky Wagner's bill is considered, it will be important that the proposed restrictions do not contravene the spirit of the law in order to reduce the harms of smoking, as Justice Butler pointed out. ". explains Professor Glover.
The researchers add that if the health sector does not take responsibility for encouraging smokers to switch to vaping, then the government should fund interactions between smokers and vapers by existing communities.
