Researchers examining the online sales and marketing of e-cigarettes have found only 10 per cent of New Zealand websites require proof of age before purchase.
An article published in the New Zealand Medical Journal examines the presence of safeguards to protect children from experimentation and uptake of vaping products.
It’s the first study of it’s kind analysing the online marketing of vaping products in New Zealand.
The researchers found 59 New Zealand-based websites selling e-cigarettes. Of these, 68 per cent had no detectable health warnings displayed and only 25 per cent mentioned nicotine addiction.
Lead author Nivy Gurram says online retailers are failing to provide adequate health information for consumers, and to prevent children and young people accessing their websites.
Most of the websites (92 per cent) used at least one social networking site as part of their marketing, including Facebook (90 per cent), Instagram (61 per cent) and Twitter (39 per cent).
Of the 52 accessible YouTube videos linked to New Zealand sales websites, none had health or addiction warnings.
“Social media platforms offer marketers extensive reach at a low cost and are valued among those marketing to youth because of their ability to influence peer-to-peer networks.”
John Paul College principal Patrick Walsh fears a new generation of addicts will emerge.
Ms Gurram said the websites were offering e-cigarettes and e-liquids at prices that were within the reach of many New Zealand children and adolescents, with the cheapest e-cigarette priced at $9.95 and the cheapest 10ml e-liquid refill on sale for $3.50.
In comparison, a pack of 20 cigarettes was on sale for $24.50 at one online New Zealand store.
Of the five most popular online New Zealand vape companies (using Google Trends), two offered more than 200 flavours on their websites. For these companies, by far the most common flavours were fruit/candy and ‘dessert’.
Ms Gurram says previous US research has shown sweet flavours to be the most appealing to adolescents.
AUT senior marketing lecturer Dr Sommer Kapitan gives her thoughts.
Another author of the study, Associate Professor George Thomson from the University of Otago's Department of Public Health, says the Government is failing to enforce legislation which it says prohibits the sale and supply of nicotine "vaping products that are manufactured from tobacco" to those under 18.
“The government is also not enforcing the law on tobacco advertising and sponsorship, which also applies to such nicotine vaping products, according to the Ministry of Health website.
“If there is any suggestion that the nicotine is synthetic, and not from tobacco, then urgent legislation should have been enacted in 2018, after a court ruled vaping sales legal in New Zealand.”
He is urging the Government to introduce new and more effective regulations to reduce the ease with which young people can purchase vaping products online.
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