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New vaping legislation has come into effect today which may make it harder for teenagers to access nicotine products.

General retailers - dairies, supermarkets and service stations - across the country will now only be allowed to sell three vape flavours - mint, menthol, or tobacco.

It is part of a roll-out of SmokeFree legislation that is aimed to protect young people from being influenced to start smoking.

Vape stores are supportive of the legislation, but are preparing for an influx of teenagers trying to buy e-cigarettes from their stores as a response to the regulation change.

For many general retailers, such as dairy owners, this comes as a relief.

PJ is the manager of a store near a high school and said he has almost 20 teenagers try to purchase vape products in his shop each week.

"They try for the peace ice, or watermelon flavours which are popular," he said.

Flavoured vapes are popular among teenagers, and up until November last year, there were no age restrictions on purchasing the products.

Retailer fines for selling tobacco products to minors can reach up to $10,000.

Other vape liquids are now only at specialised stores, which have tighter security and prevention mechanisms to deter those under 18.

Specialised vape stores are now gearing up for an increase in teenage foot-traffic.

Most stores have long-standing R18 policies for vape products and entrance into the store, but some managers have said they still see teenagers trying their luck.

Nabhik Gupta, a spokesperson for Shosha, the country's largest retailer of vape products, said their stores already have issues with teens coming inside.

"We have around 90 stores, they experience these things at least a couple times per week," said Gupta.

They have been reminding their staff of the changes and of their responsibilities as retailers.

The government's next step in the rollout of the smoke-free legalisation is a ban on smoking and vaping in vehicles where there are children. That comes into force at the end of November.

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New rules aimed at stopping youth from vaping come into effect

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New vaping legislation has come into effect today which may make it harder for teenagers to access nicotine products. General retailers - dairies, supermarkets and service stations - across the country will now only be allowed to sell three vape flavours - mint, menthol, or tobacco.

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There's no denying that vapes and e-cigarettes are huge right now, with nearly three million UK users.

Vaping - which involves inhaling a mix typically made of nicotine, water, solvents and flavours - is seen as an alternative to smoking which can help you quit, but its safety is still not entirely known.

But over in the US, the potential health risks are in the spotlight, where this year there have been 450 reported cases of lung illness tied to vaping.

There have also been at least six deaths across 33 states.

One of the most shocking stories was of 18-year-old Simah Herman, who posted a picture of herself online after waking up from a medically induced coma.

After receiving treatment for pneumonia and lung failure, she wants to warn others against using vapes and e-cigarettes.

Simah's story, and that of other vape users, have raised questions about how safe vaping is and how well regulated the industry is.

Health officials at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), who are responsible for protecting public health in the US, have been trying to identify what's been causing these problems.

What are the symptoms?

According to a 2016 survey, there are about 10 million vapers in the US and nearly half of those are under 35, with 18-24-year-olds the most regular users.

It comes then as little surprise that many of the 450 people affected are young people, with an average age of 19.

The symptoms people have reported experiencing include severe pneumonia, shortness of breath, coughing, fever, fatigue and respiratory failure - where your body either can't break down oxygen, produce carbon dioxide, or both. The result is that your lungs stop working and breathing becomes difficult.

Those affected used a number of different devices from vaporisers to smaller e-cigarettes and a variety of different brands of liquids and cartridges.

The FDA has now collected over 120 samples to test for different chemicals, including nicotine, cannabinoids, additives and pesticides.

What's to blame?

Health investigators in the US are trying to establish whether a particular toxin or substance is behind the outbreak, or whether it's the result of heavy usage.

One of the theories is that a bad ingredient could have been added to vaping liquids including marijuana products - which are legally available in some US states - namely Vitamin E.

Last week, the New York State health department started investigating Vitamin E, calling it a "key focus" of their studies after 34 people became ill in the state.

However, the FDA have not settled on Vitamin E as the cause and won't rule out other vaping liquid chemicals.

There is also suspicion about "thickeners" that have been added to vaping liquids used in e-cigarettes and vaporisers.

In the UK, health experts say they are not aware of any similar incidents with UK-regulated products.

Martin Dockrell, Head of Tobacco Control at Public Health England says: "A full investigation is not yet available but we've heard reports that most of these cases were linked to people using illicit vaping fluid bought on the streets or homemade, some containing cannabis products, like THC, or synthetic cannabinoids, like Spice.

"Unlike the US, all e-cigarette products in the UK are tightly regulated for quality and safety by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and they operate the Yellow Card Scheme, encouraging vapers to report any bad experiences."

Is this a new phenomenon?

This is not the first time vaping has given cause for concern. The British Medical Journal published a report last year of a woman who was hospitalised with a cough, fever, night sweats and respiratory failure.

They found the cause of her problem was a vegetable glycerine found in her e-cigarette, but reported she refused to give it up at the time.

As well as being linked to lung problems, there have also been reports of vape pens exploding - in rare cases with fatal consequences.

Earlier this year, a 24-year-old man from Texas died when his vape pen's battery blew up sending shards of metal into his face and neck and severing an artery.

However, as Public Health England point out, in the UK there are stricter regulations on vaping devices, with their safety and quality checked, meaning this would be a lot less likely to happen.

Another problem is that e-cigarettes and vapes are fairly new products so doctors don't know what advice to offer says the chair of the American Academy of Paediatrics tobacco control section, Susan Walley.

The advice in the meantime from American health professionals has been to avoid vaping altogether while investigations take place.

In the UK, Public Health England's advice remains that e-cigarettes are "a fraction of the risk of smoking".

The government agency reminds vapers "to use UK-regulated e-liquids and never risk vaping home-made or illicit e-liquids or adding substances, any of which could be harmful."

Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.

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What's behind a vaping illness outbreak in the US?

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There's no denying that vapes and e-cigarettes are huge right now, with nearly three million UK users. Vaping - which involves inhaling a mix typically made of nicotine, water, solvents and flavours - is seen as an alternative to smoking which can help you quit, but its safety is still not entirely known.

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These days it seems like vaping is everywhere, but how much do you really know about e-cigarettes, vapes and juices, and are they as safe as you think?

Test your knowledge and find out if you have been sucked in below!

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Vaping education for teens | Don't Get Sucked In

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These days it seems like vaping is everywhere, but how much do you really know about e-cigarettes, vapes and juices, and are they as safe as you think? Test your knowledge and find out if you have been sucked in below!

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Most recommended website for information in NZ

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Most recommended website for information in NZ

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Vaping products are regulated through the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products (Vaping) Amendment Act 2020 which came into force on 11 November 2020

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From today, schools and childhood centres must display "no vaping" signs.

It's just one of multiple new vaping laws being rolled out since last year.

The new signs will join existing "no smoking" signs, making it illegal to smoke or vape indoors and outdoors on school premises.

While creating a smokefree environment is helpful, one quit group says education will have a greater impact on kids.

By November, it will also be illegal to vape in cars with children.

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Schools and childhood centres in NZ must now display 'no vaping' signs

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From today, schools and childhood centres must display "no vaping" signs. It's just one of multiple new vaping laws being rolled out since last year. The new signs will join existing "no smoking" signs, making it illegal to smoke or vape indoors and outdoors on school premises.

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The popularity of e-cigarettes (commonly known as vaping or "juuling") has risen dramatically in recent years, as have the rates of a respiratory illness called popcorn lung. Is this a coincidence? The current research says no.

The rates of popcorn lung in people who vape have risen in the past year, and e-cigarettes may be the cause.

Popcorn lung, or bronchiolitis obliterans, is a disease that affects the smaller airways in your lungs called bronchioles. It can cause scarring and narrowing of these important airways, leading to wheezing, shortness of breath, and coughing.

When you take a breath in, air travels into your airway, also known as your trachea. The trachea then splits into two airways, called bronchi, that each lead to one of your lungs.

The bronchi then split into smaller tubes called bronchioles, which are the smallest airways in your lungs. Popcorn lung occurs when bronchioles become scarred and narrow, making it harder for your lungs to get the air they need.

Popcorn lung is caused by breathing in certain harmful chemicals or substances, some of which are found in e-cigarettes. The lung condition now called popcorn lung was first discovered when workers in a popcorn factory developed breathing problems after inhaling diacetyl, a chemical that is used to give foods a buttery flavor. Diacetyl is also found in some liquids that are inhaled through an e-cigarette.

Other conditions that have been linked to popcorn lung include rheumatoid arthritis and graft-versus-host disease, which happens after a lung or bone marrow transplant.

Vaping is when a liquid, usually containing nicotine or marijuana, is heated inside an e-cigarette until a steam or vapor is created, then a person breathes this vapor in and out absorbing the nicotine, marijuana, or other substances.

If you've watched the news lately, chances are you've heard about the illnesses and controversies associated with vaping. Over the last year, cases of popcorn lung, also called electronic-cigarette, or vaping, product use-associated lung injury (EVALI), and other respiratory illnesses have skyrocketed in people who vape.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of February 18, 2020, there have been 2,807 confirmed cases of EVALI in the United States and 68 confirmed deaths.

While the exact cause for the EVALI cases has not been identified, CDC reports that laboratory data suggests vitamin E acetate, an additive in some THC-containing vaping products is "strongly linked" the EVALI outbreak. A recent study of 51 individuals with EVALI found that vitamin E acetate was found in the lung fluid of 95 percent of them, while none was found in similar fluid from healthy control participants.

In a 2019 report from the University of Rochester, 11 of 12 patients (92 percent) who were admitted to the hospital for vaping-related illness had used an e-cigarette product that contained THC.

Popcorn lung is an extremely rare lung disease, and it's hard to say with certainty how common it is among people who vape.

A study published in 2015 reported that more than 90 percent of e-cigarettes tested contained either diacetyl or 2,3 pentanedione (another harmful chemical known to cause popcorn lung). This means that if you vape, it's possible you are inhaling substances that can cause popcorn lung.

Symptoms of popcorn lung can appear between 2 and 8 weeks after you've inhaled a harmful chemical. Symptoms to watch for include:

dry cough

shortness of breath (difficulty breathing)

wheezing

To diagnose popcorn lung, your doctor will do a full physical exam and will ask you several questions about your health history. In addition, they may want to perform some testing such as:

Treatment for popcorn lung can be different for every patient, depending on how severe the symptoms are. The most effective treatment for popcorn lung is to stop inhaling the chemicals that cause it.

Other treatment options include:

Inhaled medications. Your doctor may prescribe an inhaler that helps to open those smaller airways, making it easier for your lungs to get air.

Steroids. Steroid medications can decrease inflammation, which will help to open up smaller airways.

Antibiotics. If there is a bacterial infection in your lungs, antibiotics may be prescribed.

Lung transplant. In extreme cases, lung damage is so extensive that a lung transplant may be needed.

When to see your doctor
Even though popcorn lung is rare, vaping can put you at higher risk for developing it. If you vape and are experiencing the following symptoms, it's a good idea to check in with your doctor:

shortness of breath, even when you aren't doing anything strenuous

persistent dry cough

wheezing

Vaping-related popcorn lung is rare. The outlook for popcorn lung depends on how quickly it is diagnosed and treated. The scarring in your lungs is permanent, but the earlier it is identified and treated, the better the outcome.

Treatments like steroid medication and inhalers often reduce symptoms quickly, but they cannot reverse the scarring in your lungs. The best way to prevent further lung damage is to stop vaping.

Although it is rare, recent cases of popcorn lung have been linked to vaping. It's a good idea to call your doctor if you vape and are experiencing symptoms like coughing, wheezing, or difficulty breathing.

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The popularity of e-cigarettes (commonly known as vaping or "juuling") has risen dramatically in recent years, as have the rates of a respiratory illness called popcorn lung. Is this a coincidence? The current research says no. The rates of popcorn lung in people who vape have risen in the past year, and e-cigarettes may be the cause.

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The Cancer Society is calling on the Government to introduce tougher rules to stop school children getting hooked on vaping.

The call comes after a new survey shows that high school students across the country are vaping in greater numbers than ever.

The Cancer Society survey asked 320 schools, including 142 primary schools, about students vaping.

Nearly 90 percent of secondary schools responded that they were aware of students vaping, and over half described vaping as a problem.

"This is an issue that is reaching into the homes of large numbers of New Zealand families," says the study's author, Candace Bagnall.

"To have a whole new generation hooked on tobacco products would be a disaster for cancer prevention."

Although current evidence indicates that vaping is less likely than smoking to cause cancer, Bagnall says there is not enough long-term data to know the true effects of vaping.

"To say that a product is less harmful than smoking tobacco isn't saying a lot - we are talking about a product that kills half the people who use it," says Bagnall.

The survey showed that 72 percent of schools had seen an increase in students vaping in the past year, with 89 percent of secondary schools aware that students were vaping at school.

Eight percent of primary schools surveyed also reported they were aware of students vaping at school.

Last month, Auckland Grammar School principal Tim O'Connor called vaping "an epidemic".

He said students were becoming "quite cavalier" with their vaping on school property.

In light of the increasing numbers of youth vaping, the Cancer Society is calling on the Government to ensure that all smoke-free areas are also vape free, and ban vape flavours that are attractive to children.

It is also pushing to reduce access to ordinary cigarettes; continue to excise tax on smoked tobacco products; limit access to e-cigarettes and smokeless tobacco; and limit the levels of nicotine in all tobacco products.

Juul, the maker of the most popular e-cigarette products in the world maintain their product is safe.

Newshub.

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Cancer Society calls for tougher rules as survey shows student vaping on the up

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The Cancer Society is calling on the Government to introduce tougher rules to stop school children getting hooked on vaping. The call comes after a new survey shows that high school students across the country are vaping in greater numbers than ever. The Cancer Society survey asked 320 schools, including 142 primary schools, about students vaping.

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Auckland secondary school principals are backing the government's plan to ban most vape flavours and say vaping is reaching epidemic levels among their students.

They warn that without firm action New Zealand will have a new generation of people addicted to nicotine.

Associate Health Minister Jenny Salesa said she would introduce a bill on vape regulation to Parliament in a few weeks which would limit vape flavours to tobacco, menthol and mint.

Auckland Secondary Principals' Association president Richard Dykes said teenage vaping had become a serious problem in some of the city's schools.

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* Teens who vape more likely to start smoking, study says

"In some communities it is at epidemic proportions. This thing is just exploding in some schools. It seems to be more of an issue in higher-income-community schools.

"At some schools we are starting to see over 30 per cent of students have tried it. The percentages of people who are using it regularly are pushing up towards five, six-plus per cent and the interesting thing about that statistic, that might seem low, but that's in schools where smoking has hit basically zero per cent."

Dykes said many students mistakenly believed vapes contained only water and flavouring and his school had teenagers who vaped and were addicted to nicotine.

He said he accepted that vaping had a role to play in weaning people off cigarettes, but young people who had never smoked were taking it up as a habit.

"The voice that hasn't been heard is the impact on adolescents and we need to address that because otherwise we're going to wake up in ten years time and realise we've got another generation of adults hooked onto another nicotine-based product."

The headmaster of Auckland Grammar, Tim O'Connor, said he considered vaping to be an epidemic at his school because of the high number of disciplinary cases involving boys who vaped on the school grounds.

"That includes things like young men thinking it's acceptable to vape in the toilets, to even vape in a classroom."

O'Connor said the school was worried about the health effects of vaping.

Vapes should only be available as a prescription for people addicted to cigarettes, he said.

"In fact what has happened is the opposite has occurred, that is they've become a seductive product to teenagers and what we have now is an epidemic of modern smoking nicotine-related products," O'Connor said.

But Ben Youdan from the anti-smoking group ASH urged caution, especially with regard to restricting flavours which helped smokers give up cigarettes by providing an alternative to the taste and smell of tobacco.

"I think there is a panic and I think it's extremely worrying if the policy is going to be about banning flavours. If you take away that appeal of vaping then there's going to be a hell of a lot of adults who are either going to relapse to smoking or be very unlikely to switch to something that's much, much safer," he said.

"In the kind of short-sighted aim of trying to protect children it's going to cause much more harm in the long run."

Youdan said surveys showed some Year 10 students had tried vaping, but very few were regular users.

"We know that probably around about a third have tried even just a single puff of an e-cigarette or a vape device. Still less than around 3 per cent are daily or weekly or regular vapers and of those who are almost all of them are or were smokers."

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Vaping a serious problem in some Auckland schools - principals

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Auckland secondary school principals are backing the government's plan to ban most vape flavours and say vaping is reaching epidemic levels among their students. They warn that without firm action New Zealand will have a new generation of people addicted to nicotine.

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Coughing, fatigue and shortness of breath are warning signs for anyone who has vaped within the last 90 days.

The Food and Drug Administration says that there appears to be a particular risk for people who vape THC, the psychoactive chemical in marijuana. Credit... Richard Vogel/Associated Press

Hundreds of people across the country have been sickened by a severe lung illness linked to vaping, and a handful have died, according to public health officials. Many were otherwise healthy young people, in their teens or early 20s. Investigators from numerous states are working with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration in an urgent effort to figure out why.

Here's what we know so far.
[Read more: The Trump administration is weighing a ban on some flavored e-cigarettes.]
Anyone who uses e-cigarettes or other vaping devices, whether to consume nicotine or substances extracted from marijuana or hemp, may be at risk because investigators have not determined whether a specific device or type of vaping liquid is responsible.

The Food and Drug Administration is warning that there appears to be a particular danger for people who vape THC, the psychoactive chemical in marijuana. The F.D.A. said a significant subset of samples of vaping fluid used by sick patients included THC and also contained a chemical called vitamin E acetate.

The F.D.A. issued this statement: "Because consumers cannot be sure whether any THC vaping products may contain vitamin E acetate, consumers are urged to avoid buying vaping products on the street, and to refrain from using THC oil or modifying/adding any substances to products purchased in stores."

But some of the patients who have fallen severely ill said they did not vape THC. In 53 cases of the illness in Illinois and Wisconsin, 17 percent of the patients said they had vaped only nicotine products, according to an article published on Friday in The New England Journal of Medicine.

The researchers who wrote the journal article cautioned, "e-cigarette aerosol is not harmless; it can expose users to substances known to have adverse health effects, including ultrafine particles, heavy metals, volatile organic compounds and other harmful ingredients."

The health effects of some of those chemicals are not fully understood, the researchers wrote, even though the products are already on the market.

The early symptoms include fatigue, nausea, vomiting, coughing and fever, escalating to shortness of breath, which can become so extreme it can prompt an emergency room visit or require hospitalization.

Some patients have needed supplementary oxygen, including a ventilator in as many as a third of cases analyzed in The New England Journal of Medicine.

On lung scans, the illness looks like a bacterial or viral pneumonia that has attacked the lungs, but no infection has been found in testing.

Health officials say that the riskiest behavior is using vaping products bought on the street instead of from a retailer, or those that have been tampered with or mixed.

Mitch Zeller, director for the Center for Tobacco Products at the F.D.A., said, "If you're thinking of purchasing one of these products off the street, out of the back of a car, out of a trunk, in an alley, or if you're going to then go home and make modifications to the product yourself using something that you purchased from some third party or got from a friend, think twice."

The C.D.C. and some state health officials have recommended that people give up vaping of any type until the cause of the lung damage is determined.

An editorial in The New England Journal of Medicine stated bluntly that doctors should discourage their patients from vaping.

E-cigarettes and other vaping devices were developed to help cigarette smokers quit their dangerous habit by providing a way to satisfy their nicotine addiction without inhaling the toxins the come from burning tobacco. But many medical experts now think even smokers should think twice about turning to e-cigarettes - and anyone who does not smoke should not vape.

"Adult smokers who are attempting to quit should consult with their health care provider and use proven treatments," the authors of the analysis in The New England Journal of Medicine wrote.

They added, "Irrespective of these findings, e-cigarettes should never be used by youths, young adults, pregnant women and adults who do not currently use tobacco products."

The C.D.C. says: "If you are concerned about your health or the health of a loved one who is using an e-cigarette product, contact your health care provider, or your local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222."

Anyone who has shortness of breath that lasts more than a few hours or becomes severe should seek medical attention quickly. It is a warning that should not be ignored, doctors say.

Health investigators believe the illnesses are linked to vaping for several key reasons: The patients have vaped nicotine or marijuana extracts, or both, and do not have an infection or other condition that would explain the lung disease. Patients are now characterized as having the illness only if they have reported vaping within 90 days. In many of the reported cases, the patients had vaped much more recently.

There are several theories. One is that some dangerous chemical or combination of chemicals has been introduced into the pipeline of vaping products. Public health officials believe that when people vape this noxious cocktail, it sets off a dangerous, even lethal, reaction inside the lungs. These officials have said repeatedly that they do not yet know which substance or device may be causing this reaction, and that is the subject of their urgent investigation.

A second theory is that this syndrome is not, in fact, entirely new and that some people had gotten sick previously, but that the condition had not been recognized and identified as being linked to vaping. As vaping has grown in popularity - both with nicotine and marijuana - more cases may be showing up.

For the time being, though, public health officials seem to believe that the first theory is more likely and they are hunting for a substance, substances or process that might explain the surge in illnesses.

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What You Need to Know About Vaping-Related Lung Illness (Published 2019)

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Coughing, fatigue and shortness of breath are warning signs for anyone who has vaped within the last 90 days. Hundreds of people across the country have been sickened by a severe lung illness linked to vaping, and a handful have died, according to public health officials.

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The "wild west" vaping industry has three months to get its house in order after a new law banning advertising and restricting flavours has finally passed under urgency.

It's taken 620 days to get the law over the line after Associate Health Minister Jenny Salesa promised to regulate the industry in November 2018.

It wasn't until this year she introduced the bill, which was voted through the House late last night - just before the final sitting day in this term of government.

Salesa blamed the delays on it being a "complex bill", and said it was the most significant change to the Smokefree Act.

"It has taken a while."

The Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Vaping Amendment Bill will come into effect in three months' time, in November.

It has broadly been welcomed but some fear it is too restrictive and could result in people using vaping as a smoking-cessation tool to turn back to cigarettes.

The new law will:

* Ban the sale of vaping products to those under the age of 18.
* Prohibit advertising the products and encouraging people to buy them in-store.
* Limit the sale of all flavours to specialist stores, including online retailers, with shops Like dairies, supermarkets and petrol stations restricted to mint, menthol and tobacco.
* Allow speciality stores to continue offering loyalty points and discounts.
* Ban vaping in cars with children.
* Enable all retailers to display products in-store.
* Provide a framework for regulations to be set where people are allowed to vape in or outside premises.
* Introduce a safety system which would allow the Ministry of Health to recall products, suspend them and issue warnings.

But while non-speciality shops will be restricted to selling just mint, menthol and tobacco flavours, there is room for the government to add more with further regulations which are easier to get through than a law.
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And despite efforts from National MP Nicky Wagner, non-tobacco nicotine pouches - like the product White Fox - are now also banned.

Wagner drafted a bill to regulate the industry when National was in power but it wasn't picked up by the current government.

Before this bill was passed, she put forward three amendments to allow community groups to promote vaping products as a smoking-cessation tool, allow more retailers to sell products and permit the pouches.

She believes restricting flavours would limit how many smokers would switch to vaping, but decided it wasn't worth the fight to try to get it over the line before the House rose before the election.

Wagner said she wanted pouches included because 10,000 New Zealanders, including Defence Force personnel, used them as an alternative to smoking and the Ministry of Health advises they were significantly less harmful than smoking because they're not inhaled.

But allowing the non-tobacco nicotine pouches was strongly opposed by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

She compared the pouches to "snus", which is sold in Scandinavia, and said she didn't want to see those products sold in New Zealand.

"My view, my very strong view is that vaping legislation should not be used as a backdoor to bring in other nicotine products," Ardern told the AM show this week.

But Wagner said Ardern was mistaken about the non-tobacco nicotine pouches she wanted to get over the line.

All of Wagner's amendments were voted down after Salesa introduced her own amendment on Tuesday which adopted some of her ideas.

Salesa's amendment allows retailers whose business was 60 per cent vaping products to apply to the Health Ministry to be a specialised retailer and exempt some groups from a total ban on promoting vaping.

Public health professor at the University of Otago, Janet Hoek, was pleased the law will see the end of "aggressive and very widespread marketing" of vaping products to young people.

She's previously called the vaping industry a "wild west" which was making the most of its lack of regulation.

"They're clearly targeting it as a lifestyle, recreational activity and are trying to appeal to young people."

Hoek referred to vape manufacturers' sponsorship of events such as the Rhythm and Vines festival.

"It absolutely needs to stop."

Hoek hoped restricting sales to just mint, menthol and tobacco flavours at dairies, supermarkets and petrol stations would stick.

But a spokesman for the Vaping Trade Association, Jonathan Devery, said this was a mistake because smokers relied on flavours to keep them off cigarettes.

"Restricting the flavours is still a major downfall of this bill. People that vape tobacco-flavoured products very quickly go onto fruit flavours, like watermelon or boysenberry, because it helps differentiate between smoking and vaping."

Devery said the vaping industry welcomed the regulations as it would give retailers and manufacturers clear guidance on what was allowed.

"This is very positive that we're finally getting this through after five years of jumping up and down."

He was concerned, however, that a complete ban on advertising would mean it couldn't be promoted as a smoking-cessation tool.

"Shouldn't we be encouraged to encourage smokers to make that transition?"

Devery was pleased the stores allowed to sell vape products had been slightly liberalised through the eleventh-hour amendments because there would be some parts of New Zealand without a specialist store.

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Vaping law passes: Advertising banned, flavours restricted and illegal for under 18s - NZ Herald

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The "wild west" vaping industry has three months to get its house in order after a new law banning advertising and restricting flavours has finally passed under urgency. It's taken 620 days to get the law over the line after Associate Health Minister Jenny Salesa promised to regulate the industry in November 2018.

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There is substantial evidence that smoking tobacco (cigarettes) is harmful. Electronic cigarettes (known as e-cigarettes or vapes) are devices that heat liquids into an aerosol (vapour) which is inhaled into the lungs. E-cigarettes may or may not contain nicotine. The long-term consequences of using electronic cigarettes (vaping) are currently unknown. Use of nicotine can lead to elevated heart rate and blood pressure, slower circulation, rapid and shallow breathing, and addiction. In recent years, there has been an increase within New Zealand in the prevalence of vaping among adolescents. However, not much is known about their vaping patterns.

This report presents key findings from the 2018 Youth Insights Survey (YIS) about smoking and vaping behaviours among 14 and 15-year-olds. The study explores trends in these behaviours using the data from previous years' surveys (2012-2018 YIS) as well as looks at access to cigarettes and vapes, reasons for vaping, and contents of last vape.

The study examines the subpopulations of daily, weekly, current (at least monthly), ever (had tried smoking/vaping, even at least one puff), and never smokers and/or vapers, as well as the population as a whole.

There are also two infographics that accompany this report:

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Smoking and vaping behaviours among 14 and 15-year-olds: Results from the 2018 Youth Insights Survey

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There is substantial evidence that smoking tobacco (cigarettes) is harmful. Electronic cigarettes (known as e-cigarettes or vapes) are devices that heat liquids into an aerosol (vapour) which is inhaled into the lungs. E-cigarettes may or may not contain nicotine. The long-term consequences of using electronic cigarettes (vaping) are currently unknown.

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Smoke-free and vape-free is the best option for heart health. If you don't smoke, don't start vaping. For people who already smoke tobacco, vaping may be a helpful stepping stone on the road to giving up. The ASH team explain why.

Vaping is on the rise in New Zealand. Latest Ministry of Health figures show that, in 2016, one in six Kiwis had tried it, however, regular users are largely current and former cigarette smokers.

Electronic cigarettes are now legally available to anyone over the age of 18, making vaping a viable option for people wishing to change from traditional cigarette smoking (smoking combustible tobacco) to a less harmful alternative.

But, as with any new trend, many questions still remain. For example, 'How much less damaging is vaping to your health, compared with traditional smoking?' 'Are there still risks for your heart health?' And, 'Is vaping a helpful way to quit smoking altogether?'

We asked ASH ( Action for Smokefree 2025) Programme Manager, Boyd Broughton, to answer some of these commonly asked questions.

What is vaping and how does it work?

Vaping is the act of inhaling vapour produced by a vapouriser, also called an electronic cigarette or e-cigarette.

The vapour is produced by heating an 'e-liquid', also sometimes called an e-juice. The e-liquid is turned into vapour (atomised) inside the vaping device.

E-liquid generally consists of three ingredients; propylene glycol (PG), vegetable glycerine (VG) and flavouring. E-liquid may also contain nicotine.

Is it the same as e-cigarettes?

Yes. Vaping is the term for the action of using e-cigarettes (which are also known as electronic cigarettes, e-cigs, vaporisers, vapes).

Is vaping dangerous to my heart health?

It is widely accepted that there is always a risk when anything is inhaled into the lungs and, ideally, people should strive to live a life free of regular cigarette smoking or vaping.

Although vaping is safer than traditional cigarette smoking, it still potentially poses some risks to heart health. So, if you're a non-smoker, don't start vaping.

There are potential health risks linked to some of the chemicals found in vaping products. Aside from nicotine, the main ingredients in vaping liquids are vegetable glycerine and propylene glycol, which are considered safe for use in many consumer products (e.g. inhaled medicines, kai, foods, cosmetics and sweeteners).

The long-term safety of inhaling some of the flavouring substances is unknown, due to the rapid growth in new flavours available, however, these continue to be monitored and assessed. Research is still being carried out to fully understand the long term risks posed by the ingredients in vaping liquids.

Is nicotine-free vaping safer for my heart health than vaping with nicotine?

The nicotine in vaping liquid poses relatively little danger to people without heart disease. However nicotine can raise your heart rate and blood pressure (making your heart work harder). An e-cigarette is less harmful than continuing to smoke, however the safest way to manage nicotine withdrawal if you have heart disease is to use nicotine replacement therapy such as patches or gum that provide nicotine in lower doses.

Many smokers want to know how much nicotine is in a cigarette compared with an e-cigarette, but drawing a direct comparison is impossible. While we know the average amount contained in a tobacco cigarette (8.4mg), the quantity of nicotine that is ingested varies hugely depending on how fast the cigarette is smoked, how deeply the smoker inhales, and the proportion of cigarette that is smoked. Similarly, different vaping devices and the way they are used can change the level of nicotine absorption for people who vape.

The upside of vaping is that you can control the quantity of nicotine in your e-cigarette and reduce it over time.

Is vaping safer than smoking?

There is no doubt that smokers who switch to vaping dramatically reduce the risk to their health.

A 2016 report from the Royal College of Physicians in the UK (an organisation of senior doctors) says, "...the hazard to health arising from long-term vapour inhalation from the e-cigarettes available today is unlikely to exceed 5% of the harm from smoking tobacco."

More recently, Public Health England (PHE) an agency of the UK's Department of Health and Social Care, has published a report (PDF) encouraging smokers to switch to vaping and supporting the use of e-cigarettes as a stop smoking tool.

However, there remains some debate about the level of improved safety, given there are still some unknowns regarding long-term use. Ongoing monitoring is needed to ensure that if any new risks emerge, recommendations to smokers and regulatory requirements are revised accordingly.

If you decide to switch to vaping, quit conventional smoking completely. Smoking even a small number of tobacco cigarettes increases your risk of heart disease. A 2018 study in the British Medical Journal found that people smoking just one tobacco cigarette per day had 1.7 to 2.2 times the risk of non-smokers of heart disease and stroke than non-smokers.

Why is vaping safer than traditional smoking?

The PHE estimate that e-cigarette use is around 95% less harmful than smoking combustible tobacco. This is based on the following:

constituents of cigarette smoke that harm health - including carcinogens - are either absent in e-cigarette vapour or, if present, they are mostly at levels much below 5% of smoking doses (mostly below 1% and far below safety limits for occupational exposure)

the main chemicals present in e-cigarettes only have not been associated with any serious risks.

Can vaping lead to smoking?

There is no evidence that vaping acts as a gateway to smoking and other drugs for non-smokers. While vaping has increased in popularity in New Zealand, regular use among adults is largely by current and ex-smokers.

The same goes for vaping among teenagers. The ASH Year 10 Snapshot Survey has been monitoring vaping in New Zealand 14- and 15-year-olds since 2014. Overall, fewer than 2% of students reported vaping daily. Of those students who had never smoked cigarettes, fewer than 1% reported vaping daily.

Will vaping help me quit smoking?

Vaping is one of many tools and strategies that can help people to stop smoking.

Evidence is limited on the effectiveness of vaping products, compared with Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT). Results from the limited trials that have been done to date which compared the two, using now outdated vaping devices, showed that vaping products were equally as good as nicotine patches in helping people stop smoking. New research in this area is expected to be published by the New Zealand Ministry of Health in the near future.

What about studies that say vaping increases the risk of heart attack?

Because almost all vapers are smokers, or recent ex-smokers, there is a correlation between people who vape and increased incidence of heart attack. However, it is very difficult to attribute this to vaping, rather than smoking history.

Vapers and dual users (people who smoke both traditional cigarettes and vape) will be more likely to have had a heart attack because they are current or ex-cigarette smokers. It is most likely that vapers who experienced heart attacks did so as a consequence of traditional smoking.

While e-cigarettes are not 100% harm free, they are substantially (up to 95%) less harmful than traditional smoking.

Is vaping cheaper than smoking?

Vaping is significantly cheaper than smoking traditional cigarettes, approximately a tenth of the cost - puff for puff.

So what's the conclusion then?

In summary, smoke-free and vape-free is the best option for heart health. If you don't smoke, don't start vaping. However, for those who already smoke tobacco, vaping may be a helpful stepping stone on the road to giving up. Vaping is a safer and cheaper alternative.

While there are some unknowns that continue to be monitored and assessed for risk, vaping is a considerably less harmful alternative to traditional tobacco smoking.

Remember, if you decide to switch to vaping, it's important to completely stop smoking conventional cigarettes - even one a day raises your risk of heart disease.

Vaping has the support of the Ministry of Health government-funded smoking cessation (stop smoking) services throughout New Zealand. It is also possible to access vaping products direct from retailers who have experience and expertise regarding their use, maintenance and other technical information.

Websites with further information regarding vaping or support to stop smoking include:
Find out about quitting smoking

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Smoke-free and vape-free is the best option for heart health. If you don't smoke, don't start vaping. For people who already smoke tobacco, vaping may be a helpful stepping stone on the road to giving up. The ASH team explain why. Vaping is on the rise in New Zealand.

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Here is a site that has some interesting info as a starter.
I will be addressing vaping next week with my year 9’s. The angle I am going to come at them at is show them some early advertising of cigarettes, when it was promoted as ok, even prescribed to pregnant women in the 60-70’s for stress, and well known celebrities who promoted it. Back then it was seen as ok however as the years progress, more research and long term affects are now seen, it is NOT recommended. I see vaping as going this way and like smoking, by then it’s too late for many as they are addicted.

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Kids' and Teens' Health Heart Health Know Your Heart Risks

Reviewed By:

Vaping and e-cigarettes are sometimes promoted as ways to help cigarette smokers quit. But what about the reverse? Can vaping lead to regular cigarette smoking later on?

A Johns Hopkins cardiologist shares his insights on the potential dangers of vaping, and why avoiding cigarettes and their electronic alternatives is the healthier choice.

Vaping: Is It Safe? Or Just Safer Than Smoking?

Michael Blaha, M.D., M.P.H. , a professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins, directs clinical research at the Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease.

Blaha says that although vaping may not be as dangerous as smoking, it's not a safe practice.

Does Vaping Lead to Cigarette Smoking?

Some e-cigarettes and vape "juices" contain nicotine, an addictive substance in tobacco. As of 2016, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classifies e-cigarettes and nicotine-laced vape juice as tobacco products and regulates them accordingly.

Blaha says that while the FDA has recently taken a stance that is more toward what it calls "modified risk" tobacco products that cause less harm than smoking, vaping is certainly more harmful than not using anything at all.

"Kids have such a poor understanding of vaping products - it's extraordinary," he says. "Sometimes they don't know that there's nicotine in them or what the dose is, or what the impact of the flavorings might be.

"But because using these products is more socially acceptable than smoking, they might think that electronic cigarettes are perfectly safe."

Are Vapes and E-Cigarettes a Gateway to Smoking for Teens?

In addition to nicotine, artificial flavorings and other chemicals that users inhale, Blaha is concerned about some of the behavioral aspects of vaping.

"I think perhaps the #1 concern about vaping right now is the so-called gateway effect. Our own literature suggests that 2 million young adults use electronic cigarettes as their first nicotine-based product. They're not trying to quit smoking - they've never smoked before."

Nicotine in any form is highly addictive. Vaping, using nicotine-laced products, can become a tenacious and expensive habit, and kids might not stop there.

Blaha says there's evidence that young people who vape are more likely to go on to use illicit drugs and tobacco products such as cigarettes.

"We might be causing the next smoking epidemic through young people getting addicted to electronic cigarettes early in life," he says.

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Will Vaping Lead Teens to Smoking Cigarettes?

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Kids' and Teens' Health Heart Health Know Your Heart Risks Reviewed By: Vaping and e-cigarettes are sometimes promoted as ways to help cigarette smokers quit. But what about the reverse? Can vaping lead to regular cigarette smoking later on?

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2019

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India has announced a ban on electronic cigarettes, as a backlash gathers pace worldwide about a technology promoted as less harmful than smoking tobacco.

The announcement by India on Wednesday came a day after New York became the second US state to ban flavoured e-cigarettes following a string of vaping-linked deaths.

"The decision was made keeping in mind the impact that e-cigarettes have on the youth of today," India's finance minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, told reporters in the capital, New Delhi.

E-cigarettes heat up a liquid - tasting of anything from bourbon to bubble gum or just tobacco, and which usually contains nicotine - into vapour, which is inhaled.

The vapour does not contain the estimated 7,000 chemicals present in tobacco smoke but does contain a number of substances that could potentially be harmful. They have been pushed by producers, and also by some governments, including in Europe, as a safer alternative to cigarette smoking - and as a way to kick the habit.

Public Health England and most, but not all, of the public health community in the UK say it is not dangerous. PHE is on record as saying it is 95% safer than smoking - which kills half of all of those who take up the habit. UK scientists and campaigners are focused on e-cigarettes as a way for adults to quit smoking.

However, critics say that apart from being potentially harmful in themselves, the flavours of some liquids have turned millions of children into vapers - and potential future smokers.

The emergency legislation in New York, the second US state to ban flavoured e-cigarettes, followed a mysterious outbreak of severe pulmonary disease that has killed seven people and left hundreds unwell.

Donald Trump's administration announced last week it would soon ban flavoured e-cigarette products to stem a rising tide of youth users.

Legislation is also being tightened elsewhere, and in Singapore e-cigarettes are already outlawed. In Japan, vaping and alternatives such as "heat not burn" tobacco vaporisers are allowed but e-juices with nicotine are not.

China, home to almost a third of the world's smokers, indicated in July that it wanted the "supervision of electronic cigarettes" to be "severely strengthened".

The Indian ban covers the production, manufacture, import, export, transport, sale, distribution, storage of e-cigarettes, as well as advertisements.

The government said it would advance tobacco control efforts and contribute to a reduction in tobacco usage. Punishments include up to a year in prison.

Although few Indians vape at present, the Indian ban also cuts off a vast potential market of 1.3 billion consumers for makers of e-cigarettes.

The global tobacco industry has been investing heavily in the technology to compensate for falling demand for cigarettes due to high taxes and smoking bans, particularly in the west.

In 2018, Altria, the US maker of Marlboro and Chesterfield, splashed out almost $13 bn on a stake in one of the biggest e-cigarette makers, Juul.

According to the World Health Organization, India is the world's second-largest consumer of traditional tobacco products, which are not covered by the new ban, killing nearly 900,000 people every year.

Thirty-five per cent of adults are users, although chewing tobacco - which can also come in flavours such as chocolate and which also causes cancer - is more prevalent than smoking.

India is also the world's third-largest producer of tobacco, the WHO says, and tobacco farmers are an important vote bank for political parties.

According to the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry, an estimated 45.7 million people depend on the tobacco sector in India for their livelihood. India also exports around $1bn-worth of tobacco annually, and the government holds stakes in tobacco firms including ITC, one of India's biggest companies.

"I feel it's absolutely absurd," Aronjoy, 22, a student and occasional vaper, told AFP in a shop selling e-cigarettes. "The government believes from my perspective that it's all right to smoke cigarettes ... which is much more injurious for our health that vaping would be."

The Association of Vapers India said the government's move "indicates it is more concerned about protecting the cigarette industry than improving public health".

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India bans e-cigarettes as global vaping backlash grows

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India has announced a ban on electronic cigarettes, as a backlash gathers pace worldwide about a technology promoted as less harmful than smoking tobacco. The announcement by India on Wednesday came a day after New York became the second US state to ban flavoured e-cigarettes following a string of vaping-linked deaths.

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Auckland secondary school principals are backing the government's plan to ban most vape flavours and say vaping is reaching epidemic levels among their students.

They warn that without firm action New Zealand will have a new generation of people addicted to nicotine.

Associate Health Minister Jenny Salesa said she would introduce a bill on vape regulation to Parliament in a few weeks which would limit vape flavours to tobacco, menthol and mint.

Auckland Secondary Principals' Association president Richard Dykes said teenage vaping had become a serious problem in some of the city's schools.

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"In some communities it is at epidemic proportions. This thing is just exploding in some schools. It seems to be more of an issue in higher-income-community schools.

"At some schools we are starting to see over 30 per cent of students have tried it. The percentages of people who are using it regularly are pushing up towards five, six-plus per cent and the interesting thing about that statistic, that might seem low, but that's in schools where smoking has hit basically zero per cent."

Dykes said many students mistakenly believed vapes contained only water and flavouring and his school had teenagers who vaped and were addicted to nicotine.

He said he accepted that vaping had a role to play in weaning people off cigarettes, but young people who had never smoked were taking it up as a habit.

"The voice that hasn't been heard is the impact on adolescents and we need to address that because otherwise we're going to wake up in ten years time and realise we've got another generation of adults hooked onto another nicotine-based product."

The headmaster of Auckland Grammar, Tim O'Connor, said he considered vaping to be an epidemic at his school because of the high number of disciplinary cases involving boys who vaped on the school grounds.

"That includes things like young men thinking it's acceptable to vape in the toilets, to even vape in a classroom."

O'Connor said the school was worried about the health effects of vaping.

Vapes should only be available as a prescription for people addicted to cigarettes, he said.

"In fact what has happened is the opposite has occurred, that is they've become a seductive product to teenagers and what we have now is an epidemic of modern smoking nicotine-related products," O'Connor said.

But Ben Youdan from the anti-smoking group ASH urged caution, especially with regard to restricting flavours which helped smokers give up cigarettes by providing an alternative to the taste and smell of tobacco.

"I think there is a panic and I think it's extremely worrying if the policy is going to be about banning flavours. If you take away that appeal of vaping then there's going to be a hell of a lot of adults who are either going to relapse to smoking or be very unlikely to switch to something that's much, much safer," he said.

"In the kind of short-sighted aim of trying to protect children it's going to cause much more harm in the long run."

Youdan said surveys showed some Year 10 students had tried vaping, but very few were regular users.

"We know that probably around about a third have tried even just a single puff of an e-cigarette or a vape device. Still less than around 3 per cent are daily or weekly or regular vapers and of those who are almost all of them are or were smokers."

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Vaping a serious problem in some Auckland schools - principals

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Auckland secondary school principals are backing the government's plan to ban most vape flavours and say vaping is reaching epidemic levels among their students. They warn that without firm action New Zealand will have a new generation of people addicted to nicotine.

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Joe smoked a pack a day for about 15 years but couldn't stand the smell of it.

When he first tried to quit he was given the smoking cessation medicine Zyban but "it was just weird", he says. ​"I was a strange human being for a couple of weeks."

He started vaping six or seven years ago in California. His plan was to quit smoking and it worked. He even went without vaping for a time but in the end he decided he liked it too much.

"I like the taste, I like the act of vaping. Some of that's probably nicotine and I like keeping my hands busy. And it becomes something else to obsess on."

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He says it's not as tangible as a cigarette, it's not as satisfying, but it's much easier on his health.

But how benign is vaping, and is there a risk in non-smokers taking it up?

Smoking cessation specialist Hayden McRobbie says vaping is less harmful than smoking but not harmless.

McRobbie, a consultant in lifestyle medicine and part-time professor at the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre at the University of New South Wales, has worked in the field of smoking cessation for the past 20 years.

He says that lung illnesses linked to vaping have, to date, been reported only in the United States, and the majority appear to have been caused through using e-liquids other than the standard ones that contain nicotine, which most vapers use.

"It appears that the majority of cases of severe lung illness have been in people who were using liquids containing THC, the active ingredient in marijuana.

"While vaping nicotine may be a less harmful alternative for smokers, it is not for people who do not smoke, especially young people," says McRobbie.

In New Zealand, results from the latest ASH year 10 survey, which questions 20,000 to 30,000 students every year about smoking, show an increase in the proportion of children experimenting with vaping, from about 1 in 5 in 2014 to 1 in 3 in 2018.

However, students who smoke regular cigarettes are much more likely to have tried vaping (95 per cent) than students who do not smoke (21 per cent).

The survey also shows that some young people have become regular vapers, but most of them also smoke so that's potentially a better thing. Among never-smoking young people, regular vaping is less than 1 per cent.

A fear that the advent of sweet e-liquids will appeal directly to young people has prompted the state of Michigan to ban flavoured tobacco products, and US President Donald Trump has even talked of banning some sweeter flavours.

But McRobbie says most people who smoke and switch to vaping prefer those sweet flavours.

"In a study, published earlier this year, that compared vaping to nicotine patches and gum etc to help people stop smoking, we gave all those allocated to the vaping arm a bottle of tobacco-flavoured nicotine liquid to use. Over 70 per cent of those people had switched to other sweeter or fruit flavours by the time they'd finished the study. They're more appealing to use."

The hope is that children do not start vaping because of these flavours, he says, but banning them may not be helpful for the adults who are trying to switch from smoking, which is causing much more harm.

"One of the other possible downsides of banning these flavours is we may see people mixing their own flavours at home, and could that potentially have worse outcomes than having them made in a regulated environment."

Some flavours are more risky than others. For example, cinnamaldehyde, which gives the cinnamon its flavour, is not good for respiratory cells.

Diacetyl, an organic compound used to give the buttery flavour to microwave popcorn, has also been linked to a condition called "Popcorn lung", which came about from the factory workers who were exposed to it in high quantities developing serious lung disease.

Diacetyl has been found in some e-liquids but, says McRobbie, it's also present in cigarette smoke, "so it's really about the exposure to toxins that have the impact, and the more you're exposed to the greater the risk".

Restrictions on advertising and packaging may be a way to allow those flavours to be provided while not making them overly attractive to young people.

E-cigarettes have been on the market for more than a decade. They are vaporisers that simulate smoking, but without tobacco combustion. There have been people who have been vaping for that entire length of time, and there had been no reports of any serious lung disease until the recent US cases.

"Research is growing, but we won't have all the answers for some time to come," McRobbie says. "We only know the short-term risks - throat and mouth irritation and cough. We don't know what the risks might be for someone who has vaped for 50 years."

With smoking, the risks are well known. The other complication in looking at health risks associated with vaping is that most people who vape previously smoked cigarettes, so it's difficult to tease apart the risks of vaping from the health risk from previous smoking.

"The aerosols from vaping do contain some toxins, but these are at a much lower level than smoking. That's why our message has been vaping is less harmful than smoking but not harmless."

​Vaping in New Zealand is still unregulated, but legislation is proposed.

McRobbie says New Zealand needs to tighten access. Most vape shops do not sell to under-18s, but the products can potentially be bought online, and there are no restrictions around advertising.

"It's about having mechanisms in place where we can make sure that any liquids for vaping that are sold are as good as they can be, or as low-risk as they can be."

Then there's the debate about whether vaping should be accepted in public places.

"If you make decisions based on scientific evidence, so far there's no evidence to suggest second-hand vapour causes any harm, but we still don't know how much harm first-hand vapour causes."

McRobbie believes it's reasonable to ban vaping in areas where people are not allowed to smoke - such as in hospitals and other public buildings - and says that, on the whole, vapers are pretty good about respecting these restrictions.

"Some might say it normalises smoking, but I've not seen any evidence to suggest this. Most people see vaping as vaping, and smoking as smoking.

"In terms of public policy, we need to think what is our long-term goal. Given smoking causes significant harm, achieving a smokefree Aotearoa should be a primary goal."

McRobbie says the prevalence of smoking is going down, and there is some great work being done, but there are still too many smokers, especially among the Māori and Pacific Island population.

"Some do want to switch to vaping, but it's not a panacea. I've also got people who say I don't want to be addicted to anything any more."

There's still nothing as addictive as smoking, however. "Combustible tobacco still has it in terms of enjoyment and nicotine delivery."

A trial published this year, among smokers wanting to quit, showed vaping was more effective than nicotine patches and gum. However, after a year, just over 80 per cent had relapsed to smoking. Of those who chose to go cold turkey, only 3-5 per cent succeeded.

McRobbie says it shows what smokers are up against. "Smoking tobacco is highly dependence-producing and can mean it's difficult to quit. We should be more about supporting people to make the change."

Back when he was a heavy smoker, Joe says he couldn't breathe and would wake up coughing. All that went away in about six months of vaping.

He feels better than he did when he was smoking. "It's my choice to live with it. There's definitely some unknowns in the long term."

He's bounced around a dozen or so flavours, but likes the sweet ones and describes the taste of one as being "like the milk in a bowl of Fruit Loops after you've eaten all the cereal".

He buys e-liquid in 120ml bottles at $30 each, which last about a week. But there are other costs - the vaping units, tanks for holding the liquid, and coils that have to be regularly replaced.

"It's cheaper, but it's not as cheap as people think. If it becomes a hobby, you tend to spend money on it."

He would like to see more regulations put in place so people can trust where their favourite flavours are coming from.

"There's only a few ingredients, but you need to know what you're putting in. It's no different than food."

He finds it fascinating that vaping is becoming more commercialised, and sees great potential.

"I hope more people will vape. I mean, ideally people should just quit smoking and not vape either, but that's not the world we live in. It's like saying no-one should drink."

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Are the dangers of vaping real or just hot air?

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Joe smoked a pack a day for about 15 years but couldn't stand the smell of it. When he first tried to quit he was given the smoking cessation medicine Zyban but "it was just weird", he says. ​"I was a strange human being for a couple of weeks."

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E-cigarette flavours "are particularly hazardous" so limiting their sale in New Zealand is an important step, a European public health expert says.

Professor Martin McKee's comments on RNZ's Saturday Morning come after six deaths in the United States were linked with respiratory and lung conditions caused by vaping. The US government is planning to ban the sale of flavoured electronic cigarettes.

The New Zealand government is considering banning all flavours of vaping liquids except tobacco, menthol and mint to reduce the appeal of e-cigarettes to young people.

"If New Zealand is going to limit the flavourings that would be an important step," McKee said.

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"The flavourings are particularly hazardous.

"Other people have used the word 'reckless' to describe the promotion of these products until we have a much better understanding of their safety profile."

McKee said using electronic cigarettes caused disruption of the lining of arteries and this could be associated with increased risks of heart disease, blood clots and strokes.

Although research funded by electronic cigarette manufacturers and the tobacco industry had found no harmful effects, independent studies had consistently found harmful health effects, he said.

Both e-cigarettes and conventional cigarettes contain nicotine, which can cause abnormal heart rhythms that can potentially be fatal.

Nicotine affected the developing brain in young people and could increase the spread of cancer, McKee said.

Tar in conventional cigarettes cause cancer, a harmful effect not produced by e-cigarettes. However, vaping liquids contained propylene glycol that when heated could produce formaldehyde, a known cancer causing agent, he said.

People who smoked and vaped were most at risk, McKee said.

"We're particularly concerned about people who use both, because then you get the worst effects of both products."

Most people who succeeded in quitting smoking did so unaided, while 93 per cent of those who tried to quit by using e-cigarettes were still smoking a year later, he said.

While McKee is not calling for prohibition, he did not support flavourings that increased the appeal of vaping and was opposed to allowing advertising of e-cigarettes.

"If we treat them as a medicine, albeit a very ineffective medicine with a very low success rate, perhaps that might be the best way forward."

While some agencies had said e-cigarettes were 95 per cent safer than normal cigarettes, Prof McKee said this figure had "no credibility whatsoever".

The World Health Organisation had "extreme concerns" about e-cigarettes, as did many other health organisations around the world, he said.

Research showed that people who started out vaping sometimes ended up smoking cigarettes, he said.

"I'm looking at analogies like the opioid epidemic in other countries.

"Many products do have a role but there's a real danger associated with them so we do need to be careful," McKee said.

Professor Richard Edwards, from the University of Otago Department of Public Health, agreed that it was unclear how frequently vaping helped people quit smoking, because research findings differed.

"Vaping is safer than smoking and probably substantially safer... that's not saying much because smoked tobacco is terrible."

New vaping regulations for New Zealand should consider where products could be sold and used and what flavours were available, he said.

Edwards challenged the government to ban nicotine from conventional cigarettes, so they were not addictive.

"Vaping regulation is important but even more important is how we regulate smoking products, because that's the real killer.

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Vaping is 'a real danger' and needs regulation

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E-cigarette flavours "are particularly hazardous" so limiting their sale in New Zealand is an important step, a European public health expert says. Professor Martin McKee's comments on RNZ's Saturday Morning come after six deaths in the United States were linked with respiratory and lung conditions caused by vaping.

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It's turned allies against each other, with accusations of misleading and alarmist data. It's seen doctors who've spent 40 years battling smoking suddenly arguing alongside Big Tobacco. Now new research suggests wealthy, white teens who've never smoked are increasingly hitting the juice. Nikki Macdonald investigates whether vaping is stopping kids smoking, or just getting them hooked another way.
"I was a teen nicotine addict," Charlie declares.

He was 11 when he first started vaping. Scootering at the skate park, he saw the older kids sucking on their nifty gadgets, blowing clouds of sweet vapour.

"The main appeal to me was that it smells good, it tastes good," says Charlie, now 14.

"You think it's pretty harmless. Like, I would never dare smoking a cigarette. It's the way that people sell, or tell you about it. They're so enthused about it: 'And it's good for you and it's completely harmless and so on'. So that's the thing that hooked me in."

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The skate-park kids told him how to buy the devices and their sweet hit online. First he used his mum's credit card. Then he'd buy prezzie cards.

He'd track the courier and pull a sickie from school once it neared his house. They only once asked for ID. He said it was for his mum. They handed over the package.

"They're so easy to get your hands on."

Cotton candy, blue raspberry, peach coconut ice tea - any flavour you can think of, Charlie says he's tried it. He tried out more than 30 different vaping devices in the two years he was addicted. The nicotine made him feel good.

"It was something to do, like it's another skateboard, scootering, biking activity. It's something you like to do and that you're passionate about."

And when the 24mg/mL nicotine juice stopped giving him a buzz, he stepped up to 60mg. He couldn't vape around his mum, so he took it to school "so I could get a fix".

"If I didn't hit it every 30 minutes, I would get out of control," Charlie says. "Like start breaking up and crying. I s... you not. That's what I did and I was so embarrassed by it.

"I lose my appetite. I won't eat. I won't do anything."

Back at home, his mother Linda wondered what had happened to her gentle son. He wasn't sleeping, showering or doing his schoolwork.

"He was just a little s... and just didn't care about anything. It really affected our whole family. I didn't know what was wrong with him, why he was acting so revolting. He'd never been defiant or horrible before.

"I took him to counsellors and then he finally admitted he'd been vaping every single day at school. That horrified me."

He didn't understand that the vapes contained nicotine, Linda says. To kick the habit, they progressively dialled back the vape's nicotine content. He hasn't vaped now for several months.

"I'm a single mum. It's been really horrible seeing my baby just going through this terrible cycle in his life that could have been avoided."

Asked whether he would ever have taken up smoking, Charlie is unequivocal.

"Never, never, never. Because my mum was a pack-and-a-half-a-day smoker and that was an absolutely horrible experience for me and my sister. I know what it does - my mum couldn't even walk to her car ... That's hard for us kids to watch."

Lies, damn lies and statistics

Kids like Charlie have fuelled fears about the rise in youth vaping. Everyone agrees teens who've never smoked a durry should not be inhaling nicotine. But that's about where the consensus ends.

The new Vaping Amendment Act, which comes into force in November, aims to make e-cigarettes less appealing and available to teens, by banning advertising, toughening up the R18 sales limit and restricting flavours sold outside specialist vape shops - such as at dairies and supermarkets - to tobacco, menthol and mint.

But submissions reveal the chasm between health experts. Some call for tighter restrictions to prevent a new generation of addiction; others argue alongside tobacco companies, that the cure is more harmful than the disease.

Otago University public health researcher Jude Ball falls into the cautious camp.

Her analysis of the Youth19 survey of 7700 13-18-year-olds in Auckland, Northland and Waikato found vaping bucks both the trend of youth smoking - which is concentrated in Māori and Pacific and poorer communities - and of young people doing less drink, drugs and sex.

Almost half of regular vapers - defined as vaping monthly or more - had never smoked. Of those who vaped at least weekly, almost one-third (32 per cent) had never tried a cigarette.

At poorer schools, vaping and smoking rates were similar, with about one in 14 children doing each more than monthly. But in wealthier schools, vaping far outstripped smoking, with only one in 45 teens smoking regularly, but one in 10 vaping more than monthly.

"What's really clear in the Youth19 findings is that the demographic patterns for vaping are quite different from smoking," Ball says.

"Vaping is clearly appealing to a wider cross-section of young people, particularly when you look at the high decile schools. Smoking is very rare in those schools now, yet vaping is quite common. So in this group it's clearly not a matter of vaping displacing smoking. It's clearly a new and different trend."

That would explain why principals of wealthier schools have been speaking out about youth vaping. Auckland Grammar headmaster Tim O'Connor last year called it an epidemic among his pupils.

Micheal​ Brown, counsellor at St Peter's private school in Cambridge, said he was dealing with 70 addicted kids.

In July, decile 10 Wellington College held an information evening, warning parents that junior students know how vapes work and where they can buy them. They think "less harmful" means "totally OK for you" and that vapes are just flavoured water vapour.

Presentation slides say numbers of students taking up vaping, having never previously smoked, are "rapidly increasing", and regular vapers more than quadrupled at the school, from 2.4 per cent in 2018 to 10.6 per cent in 2019. That's still below the national average of 12 per cent.

Wellington College principal Gregor Fountain refused to discuss the issue. Neither O'Connor nor Brown returned Stuff 's call.

The mushrooming numbers of young people vaping come as no surprise to Otago University public health professor Janet Hoek​. The void between Associate Health Minister Jenny Salesa's promise to regulate the industry in 2018, and the new law, was filled with "outrageous" marketing targeting young people, Hoek says.

"It's used lifestyle themes. It's positioned the devices as fashion accessories rather than cessation tools. So I think the companies that have been promoting vaping have not been focusing on people who want to quit smoking. They've been focusing on recruiting an entirely new, young cohort of nicotine-dependent users."

The vape shop next to Linda's work is lit up "like a toy arcade", with music pumping. "It's to attract kids," she says.

Flavours have youth-friendly names such as just juice, mango smoothie and boosted chocolate shake. The $30 Smok Novo device, which Charlie says is most popular with his friends, comes with different coloured cobra plated panels "for a striking masterpiece".

And - as Charlie discovered - the R18 restrictions proclaimed by online vape shops are weak at best. Most simply require you to tick a box saying you're 18 to enter the site. NZVapor requires a date of birth - Stuff entered a date in 2023 and could still progress to payment.

The new law bans all vape advertising and sponsorship, to the delight of Hoek and Ball. But not all health experts agree.

In its submission, Action for Smokefree 2025 (ASH) accused the Youth19 researchers of being "alarmist" and "misleading" for suggesting many high school vapers are non-smokers.

ASH chairman, public health epidemiologist professor Robert Beaglehole, has spent four decades campaigning against Big Tobacco. Now he's fighting alongside them, advocating for fewer restrictions on vaping. Preventing general retailers such as dairies selling any flavours other than tobacco, menthol and mint is a mistake, he says.

What makes vaping regulation complicated is that it's part of a bigger picture, in which New Zealand is failing in its goal to slash adult smoking to five per cent by 2025. (About 14 per cent smoke now.) Vaping is the great strawberry-scented hope - a satisfying substitute for cancer-causing tar and smoke.

Beaglehole believes the new law is overly restrictive, exaggerating vaping's risk to young people and putting that ahead of the much more immediate risk from smoking, which kills 4000 Kiwis every year.

He argues the Youth19 survey just shows young people experimenting as young people do. What matters is daily vaping, as that suggests dependence, and that's not covered in the Youth19 data.

For 20 years, ASH has surveyed about 27,000 14- and 15-year-olds nationwide about their smoking habits. Vaping was added in 2015. The survey's daily vaping figures, reported in the Lancet in January, showed a different pattern.

Smokers were massively more likely than non-smokers to vape regularly and daily vaping rates were highest among young Māori and poorer schools - the same communities that still have higher smoking rates.

The authors concluded there was no youth vaping epidemic in New Zealand.

But while daily vaping rates were static between 2017 and 2019 at low-decile schools, they tripled at schools in deciles 8-10.

And the percentage of non-smokers who now vape daily doubled in the past year, though it remains very low at less than 1 in 100 teens. The number of students who had never smoked but now vape weekly increased from 138 in 2018 (0.6 per cent) to 327 in 2019 (1.5 per cent).

Ball doesn't buy the "nothing to see here" argument.

"Talking about an epidemic of nicotine addiction is probably overstating it. But to say everything is all fine in the youth smoking and vaping space, is also overstating it. We're somewhere in the middle."

It's not just different research groups who disagree. ASH's former board member, health researcher Allan Wyllie​, wrote that he resigned because "the policy direction being advocated for on behalf of ASH could not be justified and a more cautious approach was required".

"People have gone to polar extremes almost about this," notes Otago University associate professor of paediatrics Philip Pattemore. "I feel very sad about this myself, because we did have a united smokefree lobby."

Is it harmful?

In Taranaki, a "vape rescue vehicle" delivers Naki Nekta in shades of anzac biscuit, peanut butter cup and trippinon mango. Above the picture of the busty nurse offering an emergency vape is a bold statement: "Vaping is 95 per cent safer than smoking".

The often-repeated claim comes from a Public Health England estimate in 2015. Middlemore Hospital respiratory doctor Stuart Jones says it's "completely incorrect".

"Vaping is not a safe consumer product. The only reason it's got traction with the Ministry of Health is because it's been brought into the country on the back of 'This will be useful to help people stop smoking'."

Pattemore says the number is meaningless, without any information about dose and frequency of use.

"It's like saying cars are 95 per cent safer than bicycles - for whom, at what speed, what exposure?"

Pattemore points out that, while many flavour chemicals have been cleared for use in foods, that doesn't mean they're safe to inhale.

"A peanut in your lung is different from a peanut in your stomach."

What is beyond dispute is that vaping is safer than smoking. Jones says vape juices have fewer known carcinogenic chemicals than smoke, so should cause fewer cancers.

When his long-term smoking patients with chronic lung problems switch to vaping, their symptoms generally improve. But he advises them to try to quit vaping as well, because inhaling the heated chemicals can inflame the airways, causing coughing and shortness of breath, and - in the long-term - scarring and obstruction.

Jones also worries about the 50 per cent of vapers who carry on smoking. Because vaping damages airways in a different way to smoking, and research found smoking just one cigarette a day can do almost half the damage of a pack a day, doing both could be a double whammy, he says.

He fears teens will see vaping as less harmful, leading to airway damage in a generation who would have been smokefree.

Beaglehole, however, says the immediate risk to smokers far outweighs any future risk to new vapers, and while he doesn't want to see a new generation of nicotine-addicted teens, that's "at the lower end of the spectrum" of harms.

"It's not like alcohol, it's not like dangerous driving, it's not like unsafe sex. It's not going to do people a lot of harm."

Charlie's mum Linda disagrees: "That's bulls..."

The gateway argument

The arguments both for and against vaping rest on a gateway theory. Supporters argue it's a gateway out of smoking. Critics say that - for non-smokers who become addicted to the nicotine - it could be a gateway into smoking, undoing decades of work reducing youth smoking rates.

The hundreds of reformed smokers who submitted on the law show vaping clearly helps some individuals kick the habit. Jewel Peters had been smoking since she was 14 and no longer gets bronchitis or pneumonia since she switched to vaping.

Former smoker Tom Morawetz now walks 3km a day. Switching was the second best thing the 63-year-old has ever done, after marrying his wife.

Asthmatic Aramoana du Feu, who had been smoking since she was 10, says vaping saved her life.

But smoking rates have not suddenly fallen off a cliff, as Ball points out.

"It's clearly working for some individuals, which is awesome. But we're not really seeing big population-level effects. Certainly, it's not proving to be the silver bullet it was thought it would be."

Beaglehole argues that's because, in the absence of clear legislation, vaping hasn't been effectively promoted as a quit tool.

The Lancet study reporting the ASH survey results hypothesised that vaping was displacing smoking in young people. The accompanying ASH press release went as far as to present that as fact. But the data does not seem to support the claim.

While daily smoking among year 10 pupils fell from 2.4% to 2.1% from 2015 to 2019, that was far outweighed by the increase in daily vaping, from 1.1% in 2015 to 3.1% in 2019.

Even among young Māori, who are the biggest smokers, daily smoking continued its slow decline, reducing by just 0.2 percentage points between 2015 and 2019. Vaping, however, increased by 3.7 percentage points.

In 2019 alone, the ASH survey showed daily smoking increased in almost every category of teens - reversing a 20-year decline.

That adds fuel to the alternative theory - that young vapers could graduate to smoking. American research found teens who had vaped were four times more likely to start smoking. What's not clear is whether those kids would have smoked anyway.

Switching from vaping to smoking seems illogical. Teens ditched ciggies because they stopped being cool. Vaping, on the other hand, has ever-changing technology, slick graphics and evocative names, and doesn't make you reek.

Ball concedes kids like Charlie are unlikely to move from vaping to smoking. But for a teen who borrows a friend's vape and gets a taste for nicotine, then goes home to a family or whanau of smokers, that's not such a leap.

"When you come home and you've got that craving feeling, what are you going to do? ... You might ask your cousin or aunty for a cigarette.

"So I think the risk of taking up smoking is probably not that great among middle class white folk who do not move in smoking circles. But for young people that do, I think that transition is possible."

But Stephanie Erick worries tighter restrictions on vaping could push Māori teens the other way. The Hāpai Te Hauora tobacco control advocacy manager says rangatahi growing up in multi-generational smoking families will almost inevitably take up cigarettes.

"They've been smoking at intermediate or primary, they've come to college and decided 'Oh, I'll vape instead'. But then of course their vape is confiscated because schools are freaking out about vapes. And because the schools don't understand the student or their background, or the susceptibility of these children to cigarettes, they've confiscated the vape, so the students have just gone back to cigarettes.

"That's sad. I know this is going to be hard for a lot of people to hear, but sometimes it could be best to have a young person supported to stop smoking by using vapes."

One of Erick's concerns about the new law is that preventing dairies selling the fruit and dessert flavours favoured by ex-smokers "safeguards the monopoly of the most dangerous product".

"If you were hanging out for a smoke and feeling the nicotine withdrawals, what would you do? You need a smoke, so you go and get one. It's easier, you just need to pop down to your local store."

One thing everyone agrees is that cigarette sales should also be more tightly restricted.

"I think there's been far too much focus on vaping," Erick says. "It's distracted everyone and you can see it in the smoking rates. We haven't seen a significant drop in the last four years and I believe it's because everyone's been focused on vaping instead of sticking to our core business."

The fingers of Big Tobacco

Vaping in New Zealand started as a homegrown affair, with small manufacturers. Then Big Tobacco moved in. British American Tobacco owns Vuse and Philip Morris makes Veev vapes and heated tobacco products.

In its 2019 annual report, BAT reported "new categories" revenue grew by 37%, with vaping bringing in 226m pounds.

And while the company has a youth access prevention strategy, the report promises long-term growth through "a range of innovative and less harmful products that stimulate the senses of new adult generations".

ASH said the entry of tobacco companies was accompanied by "irresponsible campaigns and marketing stunts". Pattemore questioned their harm reduction spin.

"If a tobacco company is interested in harm reduction, why are they still producing, marketing and selling cigarettes? They are producing the harm and they are producing the harm reduction. That does not make sense.

"I find it very disturbing that most of the vaping products in NZ are now produced by cigarette companies. We have learned not to trust them before and I don't trust them an inch now."

Beaglehole admits it's odd to find himself arguing alongside the companies he has fought for 40 years. He's sympathetic to his colleagues' distrust, but won't let it get in the way of helping smokers quit.

"If we could encourage the industry to transition themselves away from the most harmful products, to the less harmful products, would I be concerned? No, I'd say great."

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Youth vaping - worrying epidemic or divisive distraction from smokefree goals?

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It's turned allies against each other, with accusations of misleading and alarmist data. It's seen doctors who've spent 40 years battling smoking suddenly arguing alongside Big Tobacco. Now new research suggests wealthy, white teens who've never smoked are increasingly hitting the juice. Nikki Macdonald investigates whether vaping is stopping kids smoking, or just getting them hooked another way.

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The "wild west" vaping industry has three months to get its house in order after a new law banning advertising and restricting flavours has finally passed under urgency.

It's taken 620 days to get the law over the line after Associate Health Minister Jenny Salesa promised to regulate the industry in November 2018.

It wasn't until this year she introduced the bill, which was voted through the House late last night - just before the final sitting day in this term of government.

Salesa blamed the delays on it being a "complex bill", and said it was the most significant change to the Smokefree Act.

The "wild west" vaping industry has been regulated under a new law just passed before the end of this Parliamentary term. Photo / RDP

"It has taken a while."

The Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Vaping Amendment Bill will come into effect in three months' time, in November.

It has broadly been welcomed but some fear it is too restrictive and could result in people using vaping as a smoking-cessation tool to turn back to cigarettes.

The new law will:

* Ban the sale of vaping products to those under the age of 18.
* Prohibit advertising the products and encouraging people to buy them in-store.
* Limit the sale of all flavours to specialist stores, including online retailers, with shops Like dairies, supermarkets and petrol stations restricted to mint, menthol and tobacco.
* Allow speciality stores to continue offering loyalty points and discounts.
* Ban vaping in cars with children.
* Enable all retailers to display products in-store.
* Provide a framework for regulations to be set where people are allowed to vape in or outside premises.
* Introduce a safety system which would allow the Ministry of Health to recall products, suspend them and issue warnings.

But while non-speciality shops will be restricted to selling just mint, menthol and tobacco flavours, there is room for the government to add more with further regulations which are easier to get through than a law.

And despite efforts from National MP Nicky Wagner, non-tobacco nicotine pouches - like the product White Fox - are now also banned.

Wagner drafted a bill to regulate the industry when National was in power but it wasn't picked up by the current government.

Before this bill was passed, she put forward three amendments to allow community groups to promote vaping products as a smoking-cessation tool, allow more retailers to sell products and permit the pouches.

She believes restricting flavours would limit how many smokers would switch to vaping, but decided it wasn't worth the fight to try to get it over the line before the House rose before the election.

Wagner said she wanted pouches included because 10,000 New Zealanders, including Defence Force personnel, used them as an alternative to smoking and the Ministry of Health advises they were significantly less harmful than smoking because they're not inhaled.

But allowing the non-tobacco nicotine pouches was strongly opposed by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

She compared the pouches to "snus", which is sold in Scandinavia, and said she didn't want to see those products sold in New Zealand.

"My view, my very strong view is that vaping legislation should not be used as a backdoor to bring in other nicotine products," Ardern told the AM show this week.

But Wagner said Ardern was mistaken about the non-tobacco nicotine pouches she wanted to get over the line.

Vaping flavours will be restricted under the new law. Photo / Michael Craig.

All of Wagner's amendments were voted down after Salesa introduced her own amendment on Tuesday which adopted some of her ideas.

Salesa's amendment allows retailers whose business was 60 per cent vaping products to apply to the Health Ministry to be a specialised retailer and exempt some groups from a total ban on promoting vaping.

Public health professor at the University of Otago, Janet Hoek, was pleased the law will see the end of "aggressive and very widespread marketing" of vaping products to young people.

She's previously called the vaping industry a "wild west" which was making the most of its lack of regulation.

"They're clearly targeting it as a lifestyle, recreational activity and are trying to appeal to young people."

Hoek referred to vape manufacturers' sponsorship of events such as the Rhythm and Vines festival.

"It absolutely needs to stop."

Vaping retailers and manufacturers will be banned from advertising products. Photo / Facebook

Hoek hoped restricting sales to just mint, menthol and tobacco flavours at dairies, supermarkets and petrol stations would stick.

But a spokesman for the Vaping Trade Association, Jonathan Devery, said this was a mistake because smokers relied on flavours to keep them off cigarettes.

"Restricting the flavours is still a major downfall of this bill. People that vape tobacco-flavoured products very quickly go onto fruit flavours, like watermelon or boysenberry, because it helps differentiate between smoking and vaping."

Devery said the vaping industry welcomed the regulations as it would give retailers and manufacturers clear guidance on what was allowed.

"This is very positive that we're finally getting this through after five years of jumping up and down."

He was concerned, however, that a complete ban on advertising would mean it couldn't be promoted as a smoking-cessation tool.

"Shouldn't we be encouraged to encourage smokers to make that transition?"

Devery was pleased the stores allowed to sell vape products had been slightly liberalised through the eleventh-hour amendments because there would be some parts of New Zealand without a specialist store.

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Vaping law passes: Advertising banned, flavours restricted and illegal for under 18s

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The "wild west" vaping industry has three months to get its house in order after a new law banning advertising and restricting flavours has finally passed under urgency. It's taken 620 days to get the law over the line after Associate Health Minister Jenny Salesa promised to regulate the industry in November 2018.

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Doctors at a Detroit hospital have performed a double lung transplant on a man whose lungs were damaged from vaping.

No other details of the transplant were released today by Henry Ford Health System, which has scheduled a news conference tomorrow.

The patient has asked his medical team to share photographs and an update to warn others about vaping.

More than 2,000 Americans who vape have gotten sick since March, many of them teenagers and young adults, and at least 40 people have died.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week announced a breakthrough into the cause of a vaping illness outbreak, identifying a chemical compound as a "very strong culprit."

Vitamin E acetate previously was found in liquid from electronic cigarettes and other vaping devices used by many who got sick and only recently has been used as a vaping fluid thickener.

Many who got sick said they had vaped liquids that contain THC, the high-inducing part of marijuana.

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Man has double lung transplant because of vaping damage

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Doctors at a Detroit hospital have performed a double lung transplant on a man whose lungs were damaged from vaping. No other details of the transplant were released today by Henry Ford Health System, which has scheduled a news conference tomorrow. The patient has asked his medical team to share photographs and an update to warn others about vaping.

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NZ Herald article - 2019

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Shocking X-rays show how a US 19-year-old who vapes e-cigarettes has been left with oil-filled lungs and fighting for his life.

Anthony Mayo from Erie, Pennsylvania, became seriously ill last week as he struggled to breathe, looked pale and felt sick, his parents said.

Doctors later found that his lungs were severely congested with the solidified vape oil, which they compared to hardened grease from cooking bacon.

The teen's father, Keith Mayo, told Metro US that doctors warned him that he has lungs of a 60-year-old, two-pack-a-day, smoker and that his organs would most likely be scarred for life.

Keith Mayo said the flavored oil used to vape cooled and caked his son's lungs. Photo / Facebook

The concerned father revealed that his son had been vaping for approximately two years and had tried flavoured oils such as blue raspberry, Swedish fish, cotton candy, cinnamon toast crunch, among others.

He also vaped THC on occasion, which is the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.

Vaping works by heating liquid in a tank and turning it into steam to be inhaled - but some oil droplets may be leftover as the liquid cools back down in the airways.

Anthony Mayo arrived at Millcreek Community Hospital on September 8 after he developed a hefty cough.

At the time, doctors believed he had bronchitis and gave him antibiotics. However, two days later he returned to the emergency room when developed other symptoms.

Doctors feared it was walking pneumonia, which inflames the lungs and may fill them with fluid, so they prescribed him a stronger antibiotic and steroid.

After another two days of his health getting worse, he visited his family doctor who bumped up his medication along with a "puffer," which is a medicine that is inhaled to quickly treat coughing or shortness of breath.

But his condition only worsened, leading him to return to the emergency room Monday (local time) where tests revealed his oxygen levels were at 36 per cent.

Anything below 90 per cent is considered potentially dangerous, according to the Mayo Clinic.

The teen is now recovering in hospital where he is on oxygen support. Doctors are also pumping heated oxygen with moisture into Anthony's lungs to help liquefy some of the solidified oil.

This will cause Anthony to cough up some of the liquid - which is brown, dark green and occasionally blood-tinged, his father Keith said.

Speaking to Metro US about the ordeal, Keith said: "[My son's] whole spin on it was it was cool and not that bad for you. I was just as guilty. I went along with it. I never got into it, but I didn't also prevent it either.

"He is going to have some scarring. Whether it's profound, we don't know yet. It's a wait and see type of thing. He's young, he's 19, so he can recover from this."

Keith added: "As the doctor says, anytime you put moisture into your lungs it's not good. It's solidified. It's caking everything inside of his lungs."

Keith also shared a Facebook post about how vaping affects everyone differently.

"His GF [girlfriend] has vaped the same stuff for four years. Was she affected - NOPE! If it was poisoned or tainted, she would be affected also," he wrote.

"My goal is to get this info out there. Because of this, I know that six people have quit and gotten rid of their vaping equipment."

Anthony's mother, Tanya, who has set up a fundraising page, shared the scan on Facebook.

"A warning for those in denial. This is what vaping looks like when your otherwise healthy 19-year-old is admitted into the ICU," she wrote.

"Left lung [is] about 80 per cent congested and right is about 50 per cent, oxygen level was 37.

"According to the doctor this is showing areas that have essentially solidified like bacon grease.

"The pulmonary doctor said he had seen dead people with a higher oxygen level. A full recovery is uncertain... Only time will tell."

Keith Mayo said he did not realize how dangerous vaping was and said companies that create flavored products are targeting children and young adults. Photo / Facebook

Anthony's story comes as health officials have confirmed an eighth vaping-related death in the US.

A Missouri man in his forties had normal lung function until he started using the devices in May, health officials said.

He developed mild respiratory symptoms that slowly worsened and he was taken to hospital on August 22.

The number of people sickened by vaping has risen to 500, according to figures by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

No specific brand or flavour of e-cigarette has been linked to any of the illnesses, which health officials are still investigating.

Peter Openshaw, professor of experimental medicine at Imperial College London, commented on the stark rise in mystery vaping-related illnesses.

"There is no doubt that inhaling a range of substances - from diesel particulates to tobacco smoke - risks harming the lung.

"It is well known that oils such as paraffin can cause problems because they can be inhaled without triggering protective cough reflexes, for example by fire-eaters and those taking liquid paraffin by mouth.

"It seems possible that these case clusters are related to inhalation of oil or oil and water mixtures that cause immune activation and trigger both local inflammation in the lung (pneumonitis) and, in some cases, systemic inflammation.

"Exactly why and how remains to be determined."

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Shocking X-rays show how vaping left teen's lungs caked with hardened oil

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Shocking X-rays show how a US 19-year-old who vapes e-cigarettes has been left with oil-filled lungs and fighting for his life. Anthony Mayo from Erie, Pennsylvania, became seriously ill last week as he struggled to breathe, looked pale and felt sick, his parents said.