New Zealand to legalize nicotine vapor

The New Zealand has announced its plans to make nicotine-laced e-cigarettes legal, in a bid to regain lost ground on its noteworthy target to make New Zealand smokefree by 2025.

Associate Health Minister Nicky Wagner stated that the sale of nicotine infused vapor products and e-liquid will be made legal. The rules will likely come into force in late 2018, according to a story in the Manawatu Standard.

“Scientific evidence on the safety of e-cigarettes is still developing but there’s a general consensus that vaping is much less harmful than smoking,” said Wagner. “This is an opportunity to see if restricted access to e-cigarettes and e-liquid can help lower our smoking rates, reduce harm and save lives.”

Wagner said the government was taking a “cautious approach” by aligning vaping regulations with those for combustible cigarettes. “This ensures cigarette smokers have access to a lower-risk alternative while we continue to discourage people from smoking or vaping in the first place,” she said.