VTANZ encouraged by official vaping advice

Vaping Trade Association of New Zealand (VTANZ)

Tuesday, 1 October 2019

Launched just yesterday, the reinvigorated Vaping Trade Association of New Zealand (VTANZ) is encouraged by the latest positions taken by health authorities in New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States in and around vaping.

In relation to the US incidents being associated with vaping, the Ministry of Health has now confirmed that ‘to-date there are no signs of similar concerns in New Zealand’.

The Ministry also states ‘vaping is not harmless, but it is much less harmful than smoking. Vapers who are concerned about the safety of vaping should not return to smoking which is far more harmful’.

VTANZ spokesperson Jonathan Devery is pleased with the Ministry’s reconfirmed position and its advice that ‘vaping products should only be used by smokers wanting to switch to less harmful products’. He says VTANZ also reinforces the advice to ‘buy vaping products from a reputable retailer and do not risk vaping home-made or illicit products’.

Public Health England has also come out, categorically stating: ‘Our advice on e-cigarettes remains unchanged - vaping isn’t completely risk free but is far less harmful than smoking tobacco. There is no situation where it would be better for your health to continue smoking rather than switching completely to vaping.’

Mr Devery says in recent days US federal health agency, The Centers For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC), has issued an update on the so-called vaping-related illnesses in the US. The primary culprit now seems to be the street sales of unregulated and illegal THC-tainted vape cartridges.

He says other reports confirm the presence of poisons like hydrogen cyanide, with pesticides being detected in black-market products. At the same time, CDC has also explicitly stated that vapers should not return to smoking cigarettes.

“If our Government was to come down hard on our trusted products and professional local vape businesses, it would be like waving a big regulatory stick over Lion and DB Breweries after bootleg moonshine had poisoned some drinkers in America!”

Mr Devery warns any legislative move, by Associate Health Minister Jenny Salesa, in the coming weeks to make vaping less appealing to adult smokers will only lead to fewer Kiwis giving up tobacco.

www.vtanz.org.nz

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