A year after major reforms were introduced to reduce youth vaping, new research shows it is having a ‘‘limited impact’’ in New Zealand and researchers have called for further legislation to tighten sales and marketing. Aspire Aotearoa Research Centre co-director and University of Otago public health researcher Prof Janet Hoek said although disposable vapes had largely disappeared from retail shelves and vaping products were less visible in stores, gaps in compliance and the rapid emergence of ultra-low-cost reusable vapes, risked undermining the policy’s objectives. Introduced on June 17, 2025, the new measures ended sales of disposable vapes and introduced stronger measures restricting vapes’ visibility in stores. Prof Hoek said the measures also limited vape product advertising and marketing. ‘‘These changes aimed to reduce youth vaping in New Zealand, which is about double compared with countries like Australia, Canada and the United States.’’ Aspire Aotearoa Research Centre researchers assessed how effective the measures were by conducting a mystery shopper audit of 87 specialist vape retailers in metropolitan Wellington. They examined retailers’ compliance with the new regulations, noted age-verification practices, and observed the availability of low-cost vaping products. ‘‘It was encouraging to see that only 5% of the retailers audited, still sold disposable vapes,’’ she said. ‘‘However, disappointingly, we saw several breaches of the new measures.’’ The researchers found vaping product displays were visible from outside the store in nearly a quarter of stores visited, and 40% displayed advertising that was no longer permitted. Overall, more than half of retailers breached at least one of the new measures. The study also noted poor age-verification practices, she said. ‘‘Specialist vape retailers are legally required to prevent people under 18 from entering their store and must verify the age of customers who appear younger than 25. ‘‘However, 48% of stores failed to request identification from a 21-year-old mystery shopper and, of those that did ask for ID, almost one-quarter completed the sale even when identification was not provided.’’ Janet Hoek. PHOTO: SUPPLIED Prof Hoek was also ‘‘concerned’’ to to see the vaping industry had replaced disposable vapes with cheap reusable kits. ‘‘We found 89% of stores sold products for less than $15, and two-thirds had kits costing $10 or less.’’ The ‘‘replacement products’’ retained attributes that would appeal to young people, including low upfront cost, convenience and varied flavours, she said. ‘‘We’re concerned that industry innovation can quickly circumvent regulations focused on specific product types. ‘‘We would like to see stronger enforcement and a more comprehensive strategy to address the appeal, affordability and accessibility of vaping products. ‘‘Minimum pricing, further tightening flavour restrictions, and introducing excise tax on vaping products are also policy options that merit consideration.’’ Prof Hoek said the June 2025 measures marked a meaningful step in reducing the visibility and normalisation of vaping in New Zealand’s retail environment. ‘‘However, without stronger enforcement and a more comprehensive strategy to address the appeal, affordability and accessibility of all vaping products, the impact of these measures on youth vaping rates may prove limited.’’ john.lewis@odt.co.nz
