According to a new study out of Canterbury University, there are more vape stores in deprived areas and near school.
The research found vape store numbers are increasing in New Zealand’s most disadvantaged communities, with many also located near schools.
Published in Social Science & Medicine, the study found nearly 30% of the country’s vape stores are within 400 metres of a school and 71% are within 800 metres.
Author and Canterbury University public health expert Matt Hobbs said: "I have been surprised by just how many vape stores are near schools and to see the magnitude of difference between numbers of vape stores in the most deprived and least deprived communities.
"We can also see that the number of these stores in the least deprived areas are hardly going up at all over time, whereas they are increasing rapidly in the most deprived areas that also tend to have a larger proportion of Māori, Pasifika and Asian residents. The gap between more affluent and more deprived areas is getting bigger over time."
Hobbs said talks with Whānau Whanake sparked the research.
"We were working on a project looking at air pollution impacts on health, but it was increasingly apparent that vaping and the rise of vaping among young people was important."
"We decided to take a closer look at how this has developed over time and where the vape stores are."
The Specialist Vape Retailer register, the New Zealand Deprivation index, and census data were combined to pinpoint vape store locations.
"As well as the journal article, key findings are presented online through Canterbury University’s GeoHealth Laboratory. Breaking Through the Cloud: Vaping in Aotearoa New Zealand provides interactive data that policymakers, schools, health organisations and community groups can access.
“People can zoom into their school or neighbourhood and see how many vape stores there are in the vicinity," Hobbs said.
Hobbs says there is much more research to be done, "What we hope to do next is explore the link between exposure to vape products and the outcome of young people actually vaping."
Govt moves to reduce vape harms
Labour announced new regulations last year, banning specialised vape stores opening near schools, however it did not apply to existing stores.
Earlier this year Associate Health Minister Casey Costello said disposable vapes would be "completely banned" and some fines for shops selling to minors would increase tenfold as the Government "cracked down" on youth vaping.
She said the maximum fine for retailers found selling vapes or other regulated products to under-18s would increase from $10,000 to $100,000 and the penalty for infringement offences would also rise.
Costello said reuseable vapes were a key tool for those trying to quit smoking, but disposable vapes were cheap and easy for teens to get their hands on.
The new rules would be in place by the end of this year.
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