New Zealand has announced plans to ban disposable e-cigarettes and increase fines for those who sell such products to minors, reports The Independent.
The move comes less than a month after the government repealed a unique law enacted by the previous left-leaning government to abolish tobacco smoking by imposing a lifetime ban on young people buying cigarettes.
New Zealand’s Associate Health Minister Casey Costello said that e-cigarettes remain “a key smoking cessation device” and the new regulations would help prevent minors from taking up the habit. “While vaping has contributed to a significant fall in our smoking rates, the rapid rise in youth vaping has been a real concern for parents, teachers and health professionals,” Costello said.
Under the new laws, retailers who sell vapes to children and young people under the age of 18 will face fines of up to NZD 100,000 (USD 60,480), while individuals will have to pay a fine of NZD 1,000.
Other regulations that have been introduced prevent e-cigarettes from being sold with images that could appeal to young people or with tempting names.