New Zealand bans puffs, tightens restrictions on vaping

The sale of disposable cigarettes will no longer be permitted in New Zealand from 1^er August 2023. Regulation of vaping products is generally strengthened in order to curb the epidemic of vaping among young people.

In New Zealand, smoking prevalence is at the lowest level among OECD countries, at 8.1% of daily smokers in 2022 compared to 11.9% in 2020. However, this country faces a strong vaping epidemic, which is growing faster than smoking is declining. 8.3 % of adults were vaping in 2022, compared to 6.2 % the previous year. Among teenagers, the prevalence of daily vaping would be 20 %[1].

Once favourable, following the model of England, to vaping products to reduce the prevalence of smoking, New Zealand now wants to tighten the conditions of access to electronic cigarettes to prevent a new epidemic of nicotine addiction.[2].

Keeping young people away from vaping products

Among the new measures announced on June 6, 2023, the flagship measure is the ban on disposable electronic cigarettes ("puffs") from June 1^er August 2023. By that date, all e-cigarettes will have to have a rechargeable and replaceable battery. E-cigarettes will also have to be equipped with a child-resistant device. Flavours with attractive names, such as "cotton candy", will have to be renamed with more neutral names. The sale of e-cigarettes will also be banned within a 300-metre radius of schools, as well as around Maori community meeting places. The question of standardised plain packaging for vaping products is still under consideration.

“Too many young people are vaping, that’s why we’re taking action to stop it happening”, said Health Minister Ayesha Verrall.[3]A similar, slightly stricter package of measures was adopted in May 2023 in Australia, restricting the marketing of vaping products.

One step closer to quitting smoking

These provisions for protecting young people against vaping products thus complement the plan to combat smoking adopted on December 13, 2022. This plan plans in particular to prohibit the sale of tobacco to anyone born on or after 1^er January 2009 and is part of the perspective of quitting smoking (endagma). While the goal of a tobacco-free generation – that is, fewer than 5,100 smokers in the population – seems achievable by 2025, the New Zealand government is determined not to replace it with a generation of nicotine product addicts.

Keywords: New Zealand, e-cigarettes, puff, tobacco-free generation.

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[1] The ARFNZ/SPANZ vaping in NZ youth survey, Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ, published 31 May 2021, accessed 7 June 2023.

[2] Reuters, New Zealand reveals new measures to crack down on young people vaping, ABC News, published June 6, 2023, accessed June 7, 2023.

[3] AFP/Celia, New Zealand to ban single-use e-cigarettes and tantalizing flavor names, dayFrEuro, published on June 7, 2023, consulted the same day.