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| New Zealand says "no" to disposable e-cigarettes as the country moves to almost completely ban tobacco sales. (Source: Anadolu) |
The ban on disposable e-cigarettes is New Zealand's latest move in its anti-smoking efforts, moving towards a near-complete ban on tobacco sales.
New Zealand Health Minister Ayesha Verrall has announced that disposable e-cigarettes will be banned from August. Under the new rules, all e-cigarette devices sold in the country will have to have removable or replaceable batteries.
To protect children, the government also banned new e-cigarette stores from opening within 300 metres of schools and marae - indigenous Maori meeting places.
“Too many young people are using e-cigarettes, which is why we are taking some steps to stop that happening,” Ms Ayesha Verrall stressed.
New Zealand's smoking rate has halved in the past decade, with the number of smokers falling by 56,000 in the past year. The number of adults who smoke is now relatively low at just 8%.
However, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins stressed the need to limit e-cigarettes for young people.
Six months ago, New Zealand announced it would take steps to permanently cut off access to tobacco for those currently under 14, raising the smoking age each year until the entire population is smoke-free.
In neighboring Australia, Health Minister Mark Butler said last month that Canberra would also ban single-use e-cigarettes.
Insisting that e-cigarettes were not “a product for children”, Mr Butler said the government would increase tobacco tax by 5% over the next nine years, starting in September.
| E-cigarettes contain nicotine, a highly addictive substance that causes heart and lung disease, among other ailments. In addition to nicotine, e-cigarettes contain other chemicals and about 20,000 flavorings, many of which have not been fully evaluated for their harmful effects on health. In addition to the same harmful effects as regular cigarettes, e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products also pose a risk of causing social evils, especially the use of drugs and other addictive substances. |
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