Community advocates are demanding action after a vape store opened where a fruit and vege shop used to be at a well-known South Auckland shopping centre. 

The new Vape Smith shop has taken the number of specialist vape shops at Māngere Town Centre to four – infuriating community advocate Dave Letele. 

“It’s a disgrace there is no regulation to stop it. What does Māngere Town Centre need with multiple vape stores? 

“It is taking away something the people need and giving them something they don’t.” 

Letele, aka Brown Buttabean, is well known in Māngere for his free community fitness groups and food banks and for his work in the community after the January floods. 

The vape shop took over the lease of a fruit and vegetable store at the shopping centre, which is also home to the electoral office of MPs Aupito William Sio and Lemauga Lydia Sosene. 

“To me that is unbelievable. These people are supposed to advocate for their community and then this happens,” Letele said. 

“To have this happen when the local MP has their office right there in the shopping centre – are they walking around with their eyes closed?” 

Letele said new regulations due to come into effect on September 21 were too soft and the Government needed to restrict the availability of vapes to those trying to give up smoking. 

Dave "Buttabean" Letele wants vapes out of the community and available only through prescription. Photo / NZME 

“It should really be prescription-only and get rid of the shops. It’s taking advantage of vulnerable people. 

“The reason they don’t want to is because they make money from them.” 

The new regulations will stop specialist vape stores from opening within 300 metres of a school or marae, lower the amount of nicotine in vapes and prohibit names such as Cotton Candy and Jelly Donut, which attract younger users. 

Letele said new regulations didn’t affect the number of stores that could open in an area and said dairies close to schools could still sell vapes. 

A staggering number of vape stores and alcohol shops sold the addictive products throughout Auckland, especially in vulnerable communities, he said. 

“You add those four vape stores to everything else that is bad in these areas, like the number of liquor stores, and you wonder how they have allowed this to happen.” 

Māngere-born and raised community advocate Fitz said the Government had “dropped the ball badly” when vapes started rising in popularity 10 years ago. 

The barber and founder of Twosevenfive Clothing – inspired by Māngere’s 275 phone code – said clear regulations were needed from the start. 

Founder of Twosevenfive Clothing, "Fitz" wants to see more positive local businesses at the shopping centre. Photo / Vinesh Kumaran 

“How could they not have seen back then what the vape industry was going to be like? There are people in these positions of knowledge who should have seen this a mile off. 

“If they had put controls in back then and said only people quitting smoking could buy vapes we wouldn’t be in the position we are where so many teens are vaping.” 

There are more than 7500 vape stores in New Zealand, with children as young as 12 addicted to vaping. 

New data shows the number of students being stood down at school for vaping or smoking went up almost 300 per cent between 2019 and 2022. 

The four vape stores at Māngere Town Centre were there because “they can afford the leases”, said Fitz. 

He believed stricter rules around opening a vape store were part of the solution. Another was ensuring local businesses could afford the leases. 

“The fruit and vege shop ended up setting up in a corner of the butcher because the lease went up,” he said. 

“The vape stores are among the only ones who can afford it, which is sad. We need to figure out how we can get more local owners in.” 

The fact all the shops were owned by different landlords was part of the problem. 

“All of the shops here are owned by individual landlords and they don’t care about the overall vision of the town centre. 

“There are four vape stores because there are four different landlords who just want the business. They want their rents to be paid.” 

A business owner told the Herald the Town Centre was in desperate need of an upgrade and landlords had put nothing into the upkeep. 

“This used to be a really bustling and vibrant mall with more local businesses,” the man said. 

“Vape stores add nothing positive, it’s addictive stuff and the last thing we need here. It’s just depressing to see and the Government needs to take responsibility.” 

Sio and Sosene and the owner of the new vape store were approached for comment but had not replied before publication. 

Kirsty Wynn is an Auckland-based journalist with more than 20 years’ experience in New Zealand newsrooms. She has covered everything from crime and social issues to the property market and has a current focus on consumer affairs.