Public health experts say new legislation coming into effect on 17 June, limiting vape product marketing, is heading in the right direction, but argue gaps remain and more should be done.
The changes will disallow window displays, disposable vapes, and online promotions that have allowed vaping companies to expand their customer base. Vaper retailers’ use of free products, rewards, discounts, loyalty schemes and games will end.
“These promotions have helped normalise vaping and encouraged brand loyalty, particularly among young people who are more price sensitive,” says University of Otago Professor Janet Hoek, a tobacco control expert. “The regulations are long overdue and recognise the error in treating vaping products like everyday consumer items.”
However, in the latest Public Health Communication Centre Briefing, Prof Hoek and co-authors highlight how companies like British American Tobacco are using referral campaigns and bulk-buy discounts to offload stock and maintain sales. These tactics encourage stockpiling and aim to expand their customer base by encouraging existing customers to recruit their friends.
“It’s concerning that promotions like Vuse’s ‘give and get’ scheme are being used to recruit new customers, even though the rules are meant to limit marketing to current users,” says Prof Hoek. “It’s not clear how the promotion will verify whether people referred are already vaping or smoking.”
The new rules will also require websites to stop showing product images, but Prof Hoek says it will be important to monitor and enforce compliance.
The Briefing notes that the new measures do not address the widespread availability and clustering of vape stores, particularly in low-income communities. As of 4 June, Aotearoa had 1,311 specialist vape retailers, with nearly a third of schools having a vape store within a five-minute walk.
Researchers are calling for reduced store density, including phasing out of stores near schools, marae, and places where young people gather.
The authors say the Government should also regulate and reduce the supply of smoked tobacco. “If the goal is to reduce harm and achieve a smokefree Aotearoa where smoking prevalence falls below five percent for all population groups, then we need consistent, proportionate regulation across all nicotine products,” says Prof Hoek. “That includes reducing the supply of smoked tobacco, which is still widely available and still does not require a licence.”
