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New vape regulations may create black market, retailer claims
New regulations for vapes may unintentionally create a black market for the products, a retailer says.
The government was bringing in new rules to curb the use of vapes among young people, including removing disposable vapes from the shelves, and getting rid of alluring names like ‘strawberry jelly donut’ in favour of plain flavour names like ‘berry’.
Some retailers said these plans may have an impact on uptake among young people, but do not give the industry enough time to adjust.
Auckland was often referred to as the Big Smoke, but in the last few years that smoke was infused with scents of candy floss and bubble gum.
Some of the products at Ponsonby’s Vape Room have interesting names: Heisenberg Slush, Gummi Bear, and Mean Az feature among the flavours. Photo: Tom Taylor / RNZ
Cigarettes were out: Ministry of Health data showed daily tobacco smoking rates had halved in the last 10 years. But they were being replaced by vaping products, which produced the sweet-smelling plumes.
Suppliers had more than stepped in to meet the soaring demand: nightlife hotspot Ponsonby Road, for example, had five vape stores in just 1.7km.
At the Three Lamps end, Vape Room owner Nephi Hatcher said some vapes clearly appealed to a certain audience – with Heisenberg Slush for Breaking Bad fans, Sour Batch vape liquid an unmistakable reference to Sour Patch Kids lollies, and Gummy Bear and Skittle flavourings also on offer.
Bright colours make vapes appealing. Photo: Tom Taylor / RNZ
Under the new regulations, names like these may need to change, so Heisenberg’s blue stuff may become a more mundane “blueberry”.
Hatcher said this could remove some of the appeal of vaping for young people, but the packaging and feel of the vapes themselves could hold an allure.
While Australia was moving towards plain pharmaceutical packaging, some packets here were still emblazoned with graffiti art, and some of the vapes even had games incorporated into them.
Hatcher showed Checkpoint some vapes that had studs for people to attach Lego pieces.
Vape Room owner Nephi Hatcher says the government’s new regulations may unintentionally create a black market. Photo: Tom Taylor / RNZ
From November, customers would not be able to buy disposable vapes; only devices with removeable or replaceable batteries would be allowed.
With the relatively short lead-in time, Hatcher said suppliers were already slashing their prices. And he said customers would likely stock up, meaning disposables could hang around a lot longer than November.
“There will be a huge black market for it. Once they’re not allowed to be sold in shops, kids will get easier and better access.
Hatcher said at another of his stores, someone had been caught stealing vapes and selling them to children – and more of this would occur once the disposable vapes were banned.
“All you’re going to see is this black market erupt – everyone’s going to get rid of their vapes cheap, and they’re going to be sold to kids at a premium.”
Less than 1km down the road, Chirag Kharbanda opened his store Vape Vape just a month ago. But the new regulations already had him considering his future.
“If the business is going to go down, I’m going to do something else,” he said.
“I’ve got six or seven years on the lease, and I can’t just be paying the rent from my pocket. So, I’ll do something else – maybe some food business or something like that.”
Chirag Kharbanda only opened his store Vape Vape a month ago. Photo: Tom Taylor / RNZ
Kharbanda had $50,000 worth of disposable vapes to shift, and hoped suppliers would buy back what he could not sell by November.
But he said he agreed with the government’s method of dissuading young people from vaping.
Checkpoint asked him what young people usually bought at his store.
“Disposables, that’s for sure,” he said. “Disposables are very easy to use. With refillables, there’s a bit of hassle – you have to change the coils and refill the juices and sometimes it leaks.
“With these ones, it’s pretty handy. People come in for a night out, just grab a $10 or $12 vape, and just throw it [at the end of the night].”
Dairies, which were already limited to only selling tobacco, menthol or mint-flavoured vapes, would also not be able to sell disposables when the new regulations came into effect.
Bright colours make vapes appealing. Photo: Tom Taylor / RNZ
VIA RNZ
The chief executive of the Parliamentary Service is confident there will be enough room to accommodate the increased number of MPs and their staff coming into Parliament.
On current numbers, up to 131 MPs could be sitting in the Chamber following the election, brought on by a record overhang result.
Clerk of the House of Representatives Dr David Wilson told the Spinoff that currently the debating chamber had enough chairs to seat 124 MPs – including the Speaker of the House – and work was being done to accommodate more by altering the seating arrangement.
In a statement, Parliamentary Service chief executive Rafael Gonzalez-Montero said planning for a larger Parliament had been going for “some time”.
“Now that the election results have confirmed an increase to the number of members we are looking at several options.
“We are confident we will be able to accommodate all members within the Chamber.”
VNP / Phil Smith
Gonzalez-Montero said office accommodation for members and their staff would be “stretched” for a short time, but the new Members’ Building was only a few months away from “practical completion”.
That building – located behind Parliament – was due to be ready to occupy in April next year and had capacity to accommodate around 30 backbench MPs.
“All members should be in fit-for-purpose accommodation from that point,” Gonzalez-Montero said.
Following the 2023 election, 123 MPs sat in the Chamber – a record number at the time. That decreased to 122 following the resignation of National MP Judith Collins.
Collins held the seat of Papakura and stepped down in May and Parliament voted against holding a by-election because it was too close to the election.
The election result also meant high-ranking National Party MPs like Chris Bishop, Paul Goldsmith, Nicola Willis and Gerry Brownlee – Speaker of the House and an MP for 30 years – would likely not make it back into Parliament.
Only resigning or retiring MPs were permitted to give a valedictory speech meaning none of them would get the chance to give a valedictory statement.
Asked if their would be special allowances for valedictories, Wilson said in a statement that normally only MPs were allowed to speak in the House but the House could suspend its own rules or temporarily alter them.
“It could do so to allow former members to address the House.”
Wilson said no such arrangements could be made until the next Parliament opened and members sworn in.
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