Ōtāne community petitions against vape shop

Otāne resident Kerry Low presented a petition to Central Hawke’s Bay Mayor Alex Walker opposing a vape shop in Ōtāne.

The Ōtāne community has taken action to try to stop vaping products being sold in the small Central Hawke’s Bay town.

Central Hawke’s Bay District Council has received a 502-signature petition from members of the Ōtāne community opposing a vape shop in Ōtāne and petitioning for its closure.

The petition was received publicly under Standing Orders in the council after being presented to the mayor by Ōtāne resident Kerry Low, who was concerned about vaping products being available in the town and the impact that was having on young people in the village.

CHB Mayor Alex Walker says that local councils make decisions in consultation with their communities about the sale and supply of alcohol, but do not have the power to regulate the sale of vaping products in the same way. However, they do have a legislated duty to promote community wellbeing and are well-placed to provide valuable local context and knowledge.

“While recent changes to Ministry of Health vaping regulations are positive, we want to see these go further to protect our kids from a new and largely unknown health risk. We support the controlled supply of vapes to adults wanting to stop smoking, but we definitely don’t want to see young people who have never smoked in their life taking vaping up.”

“This petition demonstrates that our community is passionate about ensuring they have a say about if and where vapes can be sold within their community, and we’ll be ensuring their views are heard by the new Government.”

Vaping products can have a significant - and not fully understood - impact on health, particularly for children and young people. The Paediatric Society of New Zealand links long-term vaping to nicotine addiction, lung inflammation, an increase in blood pressure and heart rate, and the worsening of asthma symptoms.

At a 2022 Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) general meeting, councils called on the Government to limit the retail availability of vapes to R18 specialist stores and restrict their location and proximity to schools.

In August 2023, the Ministry of Health notified new regulations for vaping, including proximity rules for vape stores and a reduction in nicotine strength.