Several stores nationwide have been found selling non-compliant heated tobacco devices despite new regulations that took effect on Tuesday.
The government announced earlier this week a crackdown on vaping banning devices with non-removable batteries and inadequate child safety mechanisms.
Philip Morris’s IQOS heated tobacco devices fall under vaping regulations and cannot be sold as they lack a removable battery and proper child safety features.
An undercover investigation by Vape-Free Kids revealed that shops in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch, including one in Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s Botany electorate, are still selling these devices.
In central Wellington, 10 out of 11 stores that previously sold IQOS are still offering them, with footage showing retailers openly displaying IQOS and non-compliant VEEV One disposable vapes.
The footage shows sellers claiming they were unaware of the regulation changes or that it was illegal to sell the devices. Some expected additional deliveries of IQOS products, while others said they hadn’t received any information about stopping sales or returning IQOS devices to the supplier.
Vape-Free Kids Charyl Robinson said it was shocking that most retailers didn’t even know if the highly addictive products they were selling were legal or not.
“There are 7000 vaping products for sale in over 8000 locations. When are we going to say enough is enough? We need to drastically cut the number of stores now as National promised during the election campaign.”
Robinson said there were illegal products openly being sold a few streets down from the Beehive.
“New legislation the government is proposing doesn’t go far enough given the two dozen smokefree enforcement officers face the mighty task of policing 8000 vape stores.
“Having caught 20 stores in less than a day and a half attempting to sell IQOS, there could be thousands more stores selling illegal products.”
Philip Morris removed IQOS devices from its website at 3pm last Monday, September 23, letting customers know this was “due to a regulatory change”.