In the nation of New Zealand, the Ministry of Health has moved to ban Hydro electronic cigarettes that are sold through 900 retailers in the country as well as online. They believe that the sales are in breach of the Medicines Act, while End Smoking NZ believes such a ban is against public interest and is fighting the Ministry to urgently review their possibly.
Because nicotine is on their list as a medicine, this move results in tobacco cigarettes being legal, while e-cigs are not.
Considering that traditional cigarettes contain 499 dangerous chemicals, resulting in poor health and leading to heart disease and cancer, while e-cigs do not, this doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense.
Medicinal nicotine-inhalers are sold in pharmacies and are not targeted for a ban. Most tobacco smokers trying to quit find it far easier by switching to “vaping.” It provides a similar smoking experience with a visible harmless vapor that is not harmful as the secondhand smoke produced by traditional cigarettes.
Current tobacco smokers can buy their cigarettes from approximately 10,000 retailers, but they’ll potentially not be able to buy electronic cigarettes in New Zealand. Many believe that those who are vaping will return to traditional cigarettes, resulting in early deaths. One in two smokers die early and “hundreds of avoidable potential deaths could be expected.”
Research reports reveal impressive quitting rates in those who switched to e-cigs. Why would New Zealand or any other nation want to ban a product that can improve the health of its citizens while continuing to allow traditional cigarettes?
When it comes down to the real reason, as it does with most governments, it is likely to be because of money. This spring the country announced a 40 percent hike in tobacco taxes over the next four years.
A price of a pack of cigarettes in New Zealand is one of the highest in the world, and in 2016 they’ll cost $15 a pack.
New Zealand already charges an over 70 percent tax on cigarettes. In China that average is 41 percent, and in the U.S. it is 45 percent.
Money or a concern about its citizens’ health?