Vaping company supports removing tobacco from dairies

Media release

Alt New Zealand

7.00am, Friday, 11 January 2019

Vaping company supports removing tobacco from dairies

Leading New Zealand-owned and operated vaping and e-cigarette company, Alt, is supporting calls for tobacco to be removed from all dairies saying such a move would bring considerable health and security benefits.

“This would be a really positive move all round. What’s more, dairy owners need not worry about losing income as ongoing hikes in tobacco tax and dwindling smoking rates overall are already contributing to lower retailer revenue. While vaping products are proving increasingly profitable for dairy owners and are much better on society,” says Jonathan Devery, Director of Alt New Zealand.

In recent days concerned dairy owners have raised concerns that the New Year rise in tobacco tax puts them at greater risk of theft. At the same time Maori public health organisation Hapai Te Hauora is calling on tobacco’s neighbourhood availability to be limited, noting that smokers trying to give up are more likely to relapse if a cigarette stockist is only a short distance away.

Mr Devery says Quitline has reportedly received a 30% increase in calls over the past month suggesting that taxes can motivate smokers to stop. However he agrees that the country’s Smoke Free 2025 strategy needs to look beyond tax alone, including reducing tobacco availability.

“Alt’s ambition is for a Smoke Free New Zealand by 2025 where the country is free from cigarettes and tobacco. While ramping up excise tax will help, the Government now needs to also consider the availability of tobacco. Getting cigarettes out of our corner dairies would be a great start,” he says.

Mr Devery says if the country’s smoke free goal is to be achieved vaping and e-cigarette products must be readily available and advertised in a regulated and responsible manner.

“Encouraging smokers to switch to vaping is key to New Zealand becoming a smoke free country. Health pressure group ASH agrees, with the Ministry of Health and its Associate Minister also openly acknowledging the health and economic benefits of smokers transitioning to vaping.”

Over the New Year period Hapai Te Hauora has also been urging Maori smokers to vape as an effective way to quit smoking.

Mr Devery says Alt is looking forward to the Government this year amending the Smokefree Environments Act 1990 which among other things will help distinguish the considerably safer vaping products from smoking.

“There is a growing call for dairies to only sell vaping and e-cigarette products. Sure nicotine is addictive but it is not carcinogenic and can never be equated to smoking. For those wanting to give up smoking, having vaping not tobacco products in the neighbourhood dairy would help considerably,” says Jonathan Devery.

www.getalt.co.nz

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