An outdated smoke-free policy in Kāpiti could be refreshed.

Vape-free zones floated

Author: David Haxton,
Publish Date: Wed, 30 Aug 2023, 2:15pm

Vape-free zones could be on the cards as Kāpiti Coast District Council seeks public feedback about expanding smoke-free areas.

It’s asking for feedback on the proposed Smokefree Public Places Policy, which would replace the outdated Smokefree Parks and Playgrounds Policy.

“There have been a lot of changes since then, including the Government setting a goal of a Smokefree Aotearoa by 2025 and the increased uptake of vaping in our community,” council social sustainability subcommittee chairman Martin Halliday said.

“We need to update our policy so it can respond to these changes.

“Smoking is the biggest cause of preventable death in New Zealand and brings extraordinary costs to our health system and economy.

“Last year the government launched an action plan to achieve a Smokefree Aotearoa by 2025, and with vaping now also increasingly pervasive it’s a good time to consider what more we could do to support reaching the smokefree goal.”

Councils nationwide have moved to include vaping alongside smoking in policies and expand smoke-free zones to include areas beyond parks, he said.

“Any smoke-free policy is about education and encouragement to stop smoking or vaping, so a high level of community buy-in is needed.

“We’ll continue to spread the smoke-free message and use signage to make it clear what is expected in our public places.”

Smoke-free zones in Kāpiti could be broadened.

A report to council’s strategy, operations and finance committee about the review said the present policy, introduced in 2008, was “now one of the narrowest in the country and doesn’t consider the impacts of the rising popularity of vaping as an alternative to cigarette smoking”.

Vaping was introduced to aid smokers to quit “but is now used recreationally among young people who have never smoked a cigarette”.

“This is a rapidly growing and topical issue in New Zealand which is one of the least regulated approaches to vaping in the world

“Around 20 per cent of youth in New Zealand aged between 13-17 are vaping daily and 86 per cent of those have admitted to being addicted (Asthma and Respiratory Foundation Survey 2021).

“So, although daily smoking rates have dropped significantly, when you look at how fast vaping rates are increasing, it means overall nicotine use is on the rise.”

The report said there would be “some small financial cost to council including the cost of signage and its erection and maintenance, as well as some resourcing costs in communicating smokefree/vapefree messaging via council’s communications channels”.

“There are no enforcement costs to this policy as it is educational in nature.”

The consultation period runs until October 2 before a hearing scheduled for October 19.

The new policy could bring more smoke and vape-free zones around Kāpiti in the following areas: