On December 26th, Sun Media, a New Zealand media outlet, reported that the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation New Zealand has launched a campaign during the holiday season to encourage teenagers to quit e-cigarettes. The campaign urges participants to share photos from their outdoor adventures on social media.
Foundation CEO Leticia Harding emphasized the importance of finding tranquility outdoors, stating that it does not come from e-cigarettes. She expressed a desire for more young people to fully embrace the peacefulness of the outdoors, particularly during the summer season, prioritizing their health and distancing themselves from e-cigarettes.
New Zealand teenage e-cigarette usage has nearly doubled in the past year, according to recent data, raising concerns for the foundation. Letisha emphasized the need to educate teenagers about utilizing their time more effectively, which is the goal of this campaign.
Leticia stated that starting from Thursday, the sale of disposable e-cigarettes without batteries, child safety mechanisms, or those that do not comply with the new labeling requirements and contain more than 20 milligrams/milliliters of nicotine will be considered illegal. The forthcoming regulations on e-cigarettes will also assist the foundation in addressing the youth e-cigarette epidemic.