Read articles from New Zealand

January 27, 2021 by nzdoctor.co.nz

Millions of vaping products imported into New Zealand will be required to display warning labels in te reo Maori if new Government proposals are implemented.

Under the new proposals, e-cigarettes containing nicotine would be required to carry a warning label advising of the potential for addiction to the product in both English and te reo Maori - similar to that found on cigarettes containing tobacco. According to latest Census data, 13% of Kiwis are regular smokers, however, this figure is significantly higher for Maori (31%).

January 13, 2021 by nzherald.co.nz

Vaping is touted as a lesser of two evils for smokers trying to quit - but a Kiwi scientist says there's much about e-cigarettes' long-term effects that we still don't know.

The University of Auckland's Dr Kelly Burrowes has now launched the most advanced study of its kind in the world, using human trials and state-of-the-art 3D computer models to get a precise look at what vaping does to our lungs. Worldwide sales of e-cigarettes have boomed around the globe over the past decade, and today an estimated three in 100 Kiwis use them at least once a day.

December 04, 2020 by vapingpost.com

A distributor of nicotine pouches in New Zealand, Miles Illemann, has previously explained that the product is more effective than e-cigarettes and that his company’s mission is helping New Zealand achieve smokefree status by 2025. “They just have such a high, proven effective rate. What we’re seeing in European countries is nicotine pouches have a success rate of 60-75 percent in getting people to quit smoking.” However, pointed out Illemann earlier this month, the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products (Vaping) Amendment Bill has banned the pouches, in what is a loss for tobacco harm reduction.[...]

December 01, 2020 by odt.co.nz

Smokers are being offered a "lifestyle upgrade" from Dunedin health professionals for free.

Te Kaika has started a new smoking cessation programme, which offers patients a four-week interactive course and support on their journey to becoming smoke-free.

About 30 people, including people aged from 21 through to 86, had already signed up to the He Manu Kokiri programme which launched last week.

Health improvement practitioner Sarah Redfearn said the name of the programme, which referred to a legend where a flock of birds helped each other to get to their desired location, was fitting as working together was what it was all about.

November 26, 2020 by newsroom.co.nz

Now is the time to demonstrate that the leadership seen during the pandemic can also be shown to address the other great public health challenges facing Aotearoa, write the University of Otago's Richard Edwards, Janet Hoek and Andrew Waa. [...] The Health Coalition Aotearoa has set out a framework of priority actions, including increasing taxes on alcohol and sugary drinks, restricting the promotion of alcoholic drinks and unhealthy food, removing nicotine from tobacco products, strengthening community input into alcohol licensing, and greatly reducing the supply of tobacco products.

November 25, 2020 by vapingpost.com

Lead study author Professor Richard Edwards from the University’s Department of Public Health, the study found that e-cigarette use was most common among individuals aged 18-24 years and among those who had recently quit smoking. The research also indicated, that between 2016 and 2018 the level of awareness, as well as the use of e-cigarettes, increased among smokers and those who had recently quit smoking. [...] the study comprised of surveys with 1,155 people between 2016 and 2017 and 1,020 people in 2018 (400 of them Māori) who smoked or had recently quit smoking. 

November 25, 2020 by spotify.com

In this brand new episode of the Raupo Podcast, host Michael McGrady speaks with Dr. Marewa Glover about a brand new study that her Centre of Research Excellence: Indigenous Sovereignty & Smoking, in Auckland, New Zealand. [...]

November 11, 2020 by scoop.co.nz

From today - 11 November - the existing prohibition on smoking inside workplaces will be extended to include vaping, but Aotearoa Vapers Community Advocacy (AVCA) says there are other areas vapers need to respect as well. “We encourage New Zealand’s 200,000 vapers to think a little more before they vape. The general rule is if you wouldn’t smoke there, you shouldn’t vape there. The likes of shopping malls, and around schools and childcare centres are a no no. At the same time, many councils have made their outdoor city centre areas and council parks vape-free as well,” says Nancy Loucas, AVCA co-director.

November 10, 2020 by scoop.co.nz

Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ (ARFNZ) have re-launched their youth vaping education website ‘Don’t Get Sucked In’ to align with the new vaping legislation coming into effect on 11 November 2020.

The Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products (Vaping) Amendment Act 2020 creates a framework for the regulation of vaping products to prevent youth uptake, while striking a balance between ensuring vaping products are available as a quit smoking tool for smokers when all Medsafe approved products have failed.

October 29, 2020 by nzherald.co.nz

A criminal past isn't a deal-breaker for Kiwis lovers, but the thought of smooching someone who has been smoking cigarettes is a solid yeah-nah.

That is according to a new survey which found that New Zealanders find smoking more unattractive in a potential partner than a criminal record, with a massive 38 per cent of Kiwis saying they detest the habit.
Psychologist Sara Chatwin says it's interesting to see how offensive Kiwis find smoking and says it "flies in face of the emphasis we put on good health".