Vaping can lead to medical problems such as seizures, shortness of breath, lung cancer and even mental health challenges such as anxiety and depression.
That’s the serious message three year 8 Bucklands Beach Intermediate School (BBI) pupils are taking all the way to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to raise awareness of vaping’s possible negative side effects.
BBI pupils Flynn Rowson, Indie Peters and Abby Rothery have written to Luxon and Pakuranga MP Simeon Brown about the issue.
They say they’ve heard back from Luxon’s office and are excited to learn he wants to have a video call with them to discuss their views on vaping.
The three pupils were spurred into action as part of their end-of-year 8 exhibition, which requires them to identify an important issue and ways to effect change for the future.
“One thing we want to change is the law around vaping,” the pupils wrote to Luxon.
“We believe changing the colours of vape boxes could make them less attractive, and it would be helpful to add pictures that show how vaping harms your lungs and body.
“It would mean a lot to us if you pushed for these changes.”
Abby, Flynn and Indie told the Times they want the legal age to buy vaping products in New Zealand raised from its current 18 years old to 21.
“We chose this topic because it’s becoming a big problem with underage kids and lots of teenagers are doing it,” Indie says.
All three say they frequently see children and young people using vapes.
“Even little kids aged around 11 to 13 are doing it,” Flynn says.
“If you go to Botany or around there you see kids doing it all the time.”
Abby says she once saw a child who looked to be about nine years old vaping at Rainbow’s End in Manukau in the company of an adult.
Flynn says people who vape can become addicted to it, which can negatively impact the person’s general health and more specifically their lungs and mental state.
“It can cause shortness of breath, lung cancer, ‘popcorn lung’ and seizures,” Abby adds.
The trio want to see law changes that would require vape products to display images of the damage the product can do to its users in the same way cigarette packets have to.
They also want the price of vapes increased.
“The ones that kids quite often get, they’re around $10 to $15,” Indie says.
Abby adds: “Kids get older people to buy it for them and then the older people sell it to the younger kids.”
The three mature pupils are hoping New Zealand’s political leaders will hear their message.
