Don’t Rush Legislation

"While we appreciate the Health Committee's efforts to review this bill, the report fails to adequately address the valid concerns raised by numerous submitters," said Nancy Loucas, Executive Coordinator of CAPHRA. "Pushing this legislation through under urgency would be a grave mistake that could have unintended consequences for public health." 

CAPHRA's analysis of the submissions and committee report highlights several key issues of concern: 

• Disregard for Consumer Voices: Despite many submissions from vapers and harm reduction advocates, their perspectives are largely absent from the committee's recommendations. 
• Potential Black Market Risks: Any time a ban is considered, there must be considerations on how that may drive users to illicit products, a concern echoed by multiple submitters but not sufficiently addressed. 
• Impact on Smoking Cessation: The report downplays warnings that restricting vape access could hinder smoking cessation efforts, contradicting New Zealand's Smokefree 2025 goal. 
• Lack of Evidence-Based Approach: The committee's recommendations do not fully align with the evidence-based harm reduction strategies that have contributed to New Zealand's declining smoking rates. 
• Rushed Process: The short timeframe for submissions and review raises questions about the thoroughness of the legislative process. 

Loucas added: “We urge New Zealand MPs to pause and reconsider. Rushing this bill through Parliament before proper scrutiny risks undermining years of progress in reducing smoking rates.”

The Coalition of Asia Pacific Harm Reduction Advocates is calling on the New Zealand government to: 

• Extend the legislative timeline to allow for more comprehensive review 
• Commission an independent impact assessment of the proposed changes
• Align any new regulations with evidence-based harm reduction principles. 

Nancy Loucas concluded: “New Zealand has been a world leader in risk proportionate tobacco harm reduction policies. Let's not jeopardise that progress with hasty legislation that could do more harm than good.”

The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Advocates is a regional alliance of consumer tobacco harm reduction advocacy organisations. Its mission is to educate, advocate and represent the right of adult alternative nicotine consumers to access and use of products that reduce harm from tobacco use. 

CAPHRA says it stays committed to advocating for the rights of consumers in the Asia-Pacific region to access and use evidence-based, regulated, and properly marketed harm reduction products as a means of reducing the devastating impact of smoking-related diseases.

“We encourage further research, open dialogue, and collaboration with governments, health organisations, and stakeholders to ensure the best possible outcomes for public health.”

References:

• The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates - https://caphraorg.net/   

Photo Credit:

• Photo by Jan Böttinger on Unsplash, resized and cropped

Dave Cross

Journalist at POTV

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Dave is a freelance writer; with articles on music, motorbikes, football, pop-science, vaping and tobacco harm reduction in Sounds, Melody Maker, UBG, AWoL, Bike, When Saturday Comes, Vape News Magazine, and syndicated across the Johnston Press group. He was published in an anthology of “Greatest Football Writing”, but still believes this was a mistake. Dave contributes sketches to comedy shows and used to co-host a radio sketch show. He’s worked with numerous start-ups to develop content for their websites.