133 Molesworth Street
PO Box 5013
Wellington 6140
New Zealand
T+64 4 496 2000
Michael Vaughan
By email: [FYI request #13364 email]
Ref:
H202005390
Dear Michael Vaughan
Response to your request for official information
Thank you for your request under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act) on 21 July 2020 for:
“1) Please can you tell me how many non-smoking teenagers in New Zealand have taken
up vaping? What are the numbers in the 20-30 age range?
2) How many young people in these age brackets were previously smoking and have
switched to vaping?
3) What advice did the Ministry of Health draw upon when deciding to allow vaping
products to become widely available in New Zealand? What were the main reasons for
deciding to go ahead?
4) What are the current requirements for Vaping companies to specify the ingredients of
the Vape products they sell?
5) What ingredients in Vape products is the Ministry of Health aware of, and what
research has been done on the health effects of these ingredients?”
Information in response to each part of your request is as follows.
“1) Please can you tell me how many non-smoking teenagers in New Zealand have taken up
vaping?”
Information in response to this part of your request is outlined in the
Smoke-free Environments
and Regulated Products (Vaping) Amendment Bil Departmental Report prepared by the
Ministry of Health (the Ministry). This Departmental Report is enclosed as Document 1 to this
letter.
“What are the numbers in the 20-30 age range?”
Information pertaining to the number of non-smokers who have taken up vaping in the 20-30
age range has not been recorded. As such, this part of your request is refused under section
18(e) of the Act, as the information does not exist.
“2) How many young people in these age brackets were previously smoking and have switched
to vaping?”
Please refer to Appendix 3 of Document 1, enclosed to this letter.
“3) What advice did the Ministry of Health draw upon when deciding to allow vaping products to
become widely available in New Zealand? What were the main reasons for deciding to go
ahead?”
The Ministry did not make any decisions to allow vaping products to become widely available in
New Zealand. These products were not regulated under the Smoke-free Environments
legislation. The Smoke-free Environments and Regulation Products (Vaping) Amendment Act
2020 (the Amendment Act) provides the regulatory framework that wil cover these products.
The Amendment Act passed its Third Reading in Parliament on 5 August 2020.
Please be advised that the Amendment Act will become available for free download at:
http://www.legislation.govt.nz
You may also be interested to refer to Appendix 2 of Document 1 to this letter for the Ministry’s
views on the risks and benefits of vaping products.
“4) What are the current requirements for Vaping companies to specify the ingredients of the
Vape products they sell?”
The Amendment Act requires manufacturers and importers of vaping products to notify the
Ministry of new products entering New Zealand and to meet safety requirements for those
products. The notifier must provide a description of the product and its parts (including its
substances) in accordance with regulations. The Amendment Act provides the Director-General
of Health with several powers around regulated products and their ingredients, which aim to
protect public health.
“5) What ingredients in Vape products is the Ministry of Health aware of, and what research has
been done on the health effects of these ingredients?”
Vaping liquid typically contains propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, nicotine, and flavourings.
The Ministry has not undertaken or commissioned any specific research into the effects of these
ingredients.
I trust this information fulfils your request. Under section 28(3) of the Act you have the right to
ask the Ombudsman to review any decisions made under this request.
Please note that this response, with your personal details removed, may be published on the
Ministry website.
Yours sincerely
Deborah Woodley
Deputy Director-General
Population Health and Prevention
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