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New Zealand’s New Vaping Regulations: What Do They Mean for You?

New Zealand's New Vaping Regulations

New Zealand’s New Vaping Regulations: What Do They Mean for You?

As of 11 November 2020, NZ’s regulations for the vaping industry came into force. This means a few crucial things for you as a consumer.

As of 11th November 2020, New Zealand’s long-awaited regulations for the vaping industry came fully into force. That means vaping is now fully government regulated in this country, and that means a few crucial things for you as a consumer. Luckily, the overall experience of vaping is going to change very little for you because the products and e-liquid flavours that you’ve always used are still available now that the new regulations are in place. There are a few subtle changes, however, that you should know about if you haven’t been keeping tabs on current events within the vaping industry.

Why Is Vaping Now Regulated in New Zealand?

The New Zealand Parliament felt that it was necessary to institute regulations for the vaping industry to ensure that adults can still have access to products that can help them quit smoking – while also ensuring that teens will not be encouraged to experiment with e-cigarettes and would not be able to buy vaping products even if they tried.

In short, the regulations are a pragmatic way of helping us as a nation to reach our shared goal of becoming smoke free by 2025 while minimizing any potential for new nicotine use among those who don’t already smoke.

What Is the Primary Benefit of New Zealand’s New Vaping Regulations?

The term “regulation” often means “restriction” in a way, so there might be a natural tendency for members of the vaping community to react negatively at the thought of government involvement in something that has had such a positive impact on their lives.

However, you can also think of the vaping regulations from a more positive angle. The fact that the government now regulates the vaping industry means that the industry now has a framework in which to remain healthy and to continue to grow as long as consumer demand exists. It also means that the government broadly supports what we do and understands the great potential that vaping holds for public health. Those are great things, and if it means that a few restrictions need to be put in place to ensure that New Zealand doesn’t develop a teen vaping problem like the United States, then it’s probably a fair trade.

So, what do New Zealand’s vaping regulations mean for you? Depending on where and how you buy vape gear, you may not have noticed the changes at all. There are three parts of the new regulations, however, that may have implications for you.

New Zealand’s Public Smoking Restrictions Now Apply to Vaping

The first major change brought about by the new regulations is that it’s now official: You can’t vape in places where you aren’t allowed to smoke. The law also includes two specific situations in which vaping is explicitly illegal. You aren’t allowed to vape in a car when a minor is present, and you can’t vape anywhere within or on the grounds of schools or childcare facilities.

When the vaping regulations were being debated in Parliament, one of the things discussed was the need to carve out an exception for vape shops. Since new vapers often need to be shown how to set up and use their devices, the regulations do allow vaping inside vape shops, since learning how to vape is an important part of ensuring that a new vaper will be able to transition from smoking to vaping successfully.

Vaping Brands Now Have the Same Advertising Restrictions as Tobacco Companies

The tobacco industry has a long history of not playing fair when it comes to marketing, and people have long levelled accusations that the world’s tobacco companies have attempted to market their products to minors in order to encourage new initiation of nicotine use. Ultimately, it became necessary for governments around the world to implement stiff restrictions on how and where tobacco companies could advertise, and in many nations, all forms of tobacco advertising are illegal. Everyone knows what cigarettes are anyway, so advertising is really unnecessary.

As of 11th November 2020, the same restrictions apply to the vaping industry, and vaping companies are no longer allowed to advertise.

The vaping industry is a bit different, though, in the fact that we have a constant flood of new devices, new technologies and new e-liquid flavours – and unfortunately, you now have no easy way to find out about those new products. We suggest bookmarking the Premium Vape website and returning frequently to find out what’s new or join our mailing list to be kept up to date via email newletters. You may also find it useful to participate in online discussion groups about vaping, where people will certainly continue discussing the latest products.

The Regulations Have Divided Vaping Retailers Into Two Categories

If you’re not used to buying your vape gear and e-liquid from vape shops, the final part of New Zealand’s vaping regulations is going to be the one that changes things for you most dramatically. Going forward, the law will recognize two types of vaping retailers. The first type is the specialist vape shop – a company that earns most of its money from vaping products. The second type is the general retailer – a business like a convenience store, gas station or dairy. If you buy your vaping products from a specialist vape shop like Premium Vape, nothing will change for you. If you buy from any other type of retailer, though, you’re going to see three major changes.

  • General retailers are now only allowed to sell vaping products in tobacco, mint and menthol flavours.
  • General retailers are no longer allowed to discuss the merits of various vaping products or how to use those products. They can only tell you what the products include and what the prices are.
  • General retailers are not allowed to offer discounts such as coupons or loyalty programs for vaping products.

Specialist vape shops, however, are still allowed to sell all e-liquid flavours. They are also allowed to compare different products and explain how to use them. Lastly, vape shops are allowed to offer coupons and loyalty programs. Obviously, the implication here is that, if you’re an experienced vaper, you’re going to want to start buying your gear from a vape shop such as Premium Vape. Traditional retailers will continue to help introduce smokers to vaping, and when those people want to explore the wider world of what vaping has to offer, they’ll transition to vape shops.

Premium Vape

At Premium Vape, we are committed to helping adult smokers transition to the reduced-harm alternative of vaping and to furthering New Zealand’s goal of becoming smoke free by 2025.

Vaping products contain nicotine which is addictive, adult smokers and vapers over 18 years of age only.

If you have any questions please get in contact with the friendly team at Premium Vape, we’re here to help.