Smoke and Mirrors
New Zealand is failing its young people.We remain sluggish, hesitant, and disturbingly passive in the face of an epidemic that is harming our rangatahi.
The government has finally moved to ban disposable vapes by June, but under pressure from the industry, it has allowed pod-based vape systems to remain. These are still small, portable, and discreet, with replaceable disposable cartridges. And while flavour names like "blueberry cheesecake" have been replaced with "blueberry," the colours, branding, and youth appeal remain firmly in place. No one should be fooled—this is an industry that has deliberately created a new generations of addicts.
The Addiction we refuse to acknowledge
Nicotine is one of the most addictive substances known. We've all seen adults struggle to quit smoking, battling irritability, stress, and withdrawal symptoms. Now imagine a teenager facing that same physical and mental toll. The addiction to vapes is not just about cravings—it’s about disrupted sleep, difficulty concentrating, emotional instability, and a reliance on a substance that dictates their daily lives.
And yet, the message from the industry remains the same: it’s safer than smoking.That narrative has allowed vaping to be seen as relatively benign, when in reality, it has led to an explosion of youth addiction.
The Myth that they’d be smoking anyway
The argument that these young people would just be smoking if vapes weren’t available doesn't really stack up
Vaping is engineered to be delicious. The flavours, the sleek design, the social media influencers who glamorise it—everything about vaping makes it attractive, easy, and normalised. Cigarettes were hidden in dark corners of shops; vape stores look like toy shops or lolly stores.
The Impact on young lives
Vaping fuels deceit, guilt, and shame. Young people become skilled at lying to their parents and teachers. Some steal money to feed their addiction. Families are torn apart because they don’t understand what they’re dealing with—a real, chemical dependency, not just "bad behaviour."
Where are kids getting vapes?
Why does this happen? Because there are at least 8,000 vape retailers in New Zealand. It is physically impossible for enforcement officers to monitor them all. The legal age to buy vapes in New Zealand is 18. Both Labour and National promised before the election to reduce vape retailers to 600.
- Reducing vape retailers to 600, as promised—so vapes are sold only by those qualified to offer cessation support, not dairies selling them next to lollies.
- Enforcing the laws we already have—shutting down retailers who sell to minors, not just issuing fines.
- Providing real support for addicted youth—because right now, they’re being left to struggle alone.
We feel let down. As parents, we deserve better. Our rangatahi deserve better.
