Minister Jenny Salesa’s inaction has allowed vaping advertising and promotion to flourish, National MP Nicky Wagner says.
“This week the Minister expressed concern about the vaping industry not being regulated, as they are able to approach agencies trying to give out free products. These are hollow statements given her inaction these past eighteen months.
“National had already produced a Cabinet Paper on this that outlined the changes needed to regulate the sale, supply and quality of vaping products. She has played politics by choosing to ignore this and not action any of these suggested changes.
“I have since submitted a Members Bill on this issue. It would regulate advertising of vaping products to point of sale only, ban vaping in smoke-free areas and set out a basic framework for quality control.
“Last year Parliament could have read this Bill a first time and start deliberations in Select Committee. This would not have taken up any of the Government’s legislative time and allowed the industry to get a regulatory framework in place. The Minister refused to take up my offer on this.
“We now have an industry without any guidelines on acting legally and in the best interests of their companies. If we want to limit actions by an industry for the benefit of New Zealanders it is only reasonable that we give them clear guidelines.
“The Minister continues to kick the can down the road on vaping because of her own inaction.”
