Concerned about youth vaping?
It's time to get our heads out of the clouds and take action to stop vaping addiction in young people in Aotearoa.
Vaping in NZ is growing rapidly with more young people than ever taking up vaping without knowing what kind of health issues this may cause in the future.
Daily vaping among teens in Aotearoa has tripled since 2019 and a study of early high school students in New Zealand found about 30% of daily vapers had never smoked cigarettes.
We have worked so hard as a country to seriously reduce smoking, but ironically what was introduced as a tool to stop smoking is now addicting more and more young people to nicotine.
We are not anti-vaping as a tool for current smokers who want to quit, but the government needs to strike the right balance between providing harm-reducing alternatives to cigarettes and protecting people, especially young people, who have never smoked and are now vaping.
The government needs to act now to further tighten restrictions on sales, marketing, and access to vapes, and a stop to loopholes in regulations that allow corner dairies to essentially operate as vape stores, frequently in very close proximity to our schools. It needs to put an end to kid-enticing flavours and packaging, and acknowledge that age regulations on their own are not enough to keep vapes out of the hands of young people.
Sadly, a new wave of addiction is already starting amongst our tamariki and rangatahi. We think it's time to take a stand and act now!
Worried about young people vaping? Take just 5 minutes out of your day to make a difference!
1. Sign and share the Change petition: chng.it...
2. Sign and share the Parliamentary petition: petitions.parliament.nz...
3. Share the Vapefree Kids Facebook group with your friends, family, contacts, networks and groups.
www.facebook.com...
Want to do more?
4. Write to your local MP and the Minister of Health
It's an election year, MPs want your vote! Let them know this issue is really important to you and that their actions influence how you vote. You can also write to the health spokespeople for all parties.
5. Offer your help and suggest ideas for action
Do this for the sake of our kids
By coming together we hope to create a strong unified voice to show the government we need them to take action on this issue… now! If we sit back and do nothing, nothing will get done…just a few minutes of your time CAN make a real difference and create a positive future for our young people.
#vapefreekidsnz
Poll: Do you think banning gang patches is reasonable?
With the government cracking down on gangs, it is now illegal for gang members to display their insignia in public places whether through clothing or their property.
This means arrests can be made if these patches are worn in places like restaurants, shops, on public transport or ferries, and on airplanes. Arrests were made recently at a funeral.
Do you think this ban is reasonable?
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76.9% Yes
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22.2% No
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0.9% Other - I'll share below
What's your favourite recipe for courgettes?
Kia ora neighbours. If you've got a family recipe for courgettes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our January 2025 issue.
Think You’ve Got the Answer? Today’s Riddle Says ‘Prove It’!
If eleven plus two equals one, what does nine plus five equal?
Do you think you know the answer to our daily riddle? Don't spoil it for your neighbours! Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm.
Want to stop seeing riddles in your newsfeed?
Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.
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