Scoop, Summarised by The Centrist
The Government has moved forward with its plans to reduce youth vaping rates and achieve a smokefree future for New Zealand with the release of new vaping and smoked tobacco regulations.
The vaping rules encompass requirements for Specialist Vape Retailers’ distances from schools and marae, generic flavour descriptions for products, lowered nicotine strength in single-use vapes, and safety measures like removable batteries and child-safety mechanisms. Concurrently, a health promotion initiative called Protect Your Breath (PYB) has been launched to encourage vape-free lives among young people.
The smoked tobacco regulations include criteria for approved retailers and testing requirements for very low-level nicotine products. The smoked tobacco retail scheme’s application process begins in September 2023.