E-cigarettes in New Zealand

New Zealand: Following a three-month consultation on changes to the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products (Smoked Tobacco) Act, health minister Ayesha Verrall has announced that vaping regulations will be updated in the next few days to tackle youth vaping, press reports. Asked about Australia’s import ban, Verrall added: “We need a vaping policy that reflects New Zealand’s needs, because we have very different needs in terms of who’s affected by smoking.”

New Zealand: Health minister Ayesha Verrall has said stronger measures like Australia’s planned further tightening of rules on the sale of e-cigarettes would require legislative changes and would not happen during this government, press reports. However, she said other measures to tackle youth vaping, such as making e-cigarettes less attractive and less available, would be introduced soon.

New Zealand: As shown in our compliance calendar, tomorrow (15th March) is the last day to submit comments on new proposals to address youth vaping. The proposals seek to tighten retail availability, reduce nicotine levels in disposable e-cigarettes, restrict flavour names, and add packaging requirements.

New Zealand: As highlighted in the ECigIntelligence compliance calendar, today (31st January) is the last day for manufacturers and importers of e-cigarettes, including specialist vape retailers, to submit their market data for 2022.

New Zealand: The Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products (Smoked Tobacco) Amendment Bill, which will set a limit on the number of e-cigarette retailers and ban the sale of smokable tobacco products to anyone born after 1st January 2009, has received royal assent; most of its provisions will come into force on 1st January. Maori Party co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer said that, although her party supported the bill, they were confused as to why it had not also sought to ban vaping products.

New Zealand: Following a report that some retailers were misinterpreting the regulations, especially on maximum nicotine content, the Vaping Regulatory Authority has announced that 472 non-compliant products are being withdrawn from the market until they are compliant and have been re-notified. The authority is currently assessing another 1,083 products to ensure they comply with product safety requirements.