Kia ora

 

Thank you for your request for official information. The reference number
for your request is: H2024051745.
  
As required under the Official Information Act 1982, Manatū Hauora will
endeavour to respond to your request no later than 20 working days after
the day your request was received. If you'd like to calculate the
timeframe, you can use the Ombudsman's online calculator
here: [1]http://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/  
  
If you have any queries related to this request, please do not hesitate to
get in touch. 
 
Ngā mihi 

 

OIA Services Team 
M[2]inistry of Health information releases 
U[3]nite against COVID-19 
 

------------------- Original Message -------------------
From: D Towell <[FOI #28409 email]>; 
Received: Mon Sep 16 2024 21:29:47 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)
To: OIA Requests <[email address]>; OIA <[email address]>; 
Subject: Official Information request - Vaping: Briefings/memos to
Ministers and Associate Ministers 2014-2024

Dear Ministry of Health,

Please can I request copies of:

* All Briefings / memos / any other titled correspondence to Associate
Ministers and Ministers for the period 2014-2024 which specifically relate
to:
 1. Vaping use/advice/stats in NZ
 2. Cigarette use/advice/stats in NZ

* Any statistics held relating to the use of cigarettes and vaping devices
in NZ between 2014-2024 - if possible, broken down into years and age
groups. 
To include: what percentage of the population smokes / vapes, the
frequency of use, the quantity of nicotine products being consumed. 

Statistics for the past ten years (2014-2024) concerning the number of
medical conditions linked to, or suspected to be linked to, vaping
devices. 
Specifically: 
* The number of E-cigarette or vaping associated lung injuries (EVALI) (US
CDC term)
* If not classed as EVALI, the number of patients with collapsed lungs,
pnuemonia, or other lung related instances due to, or where vaping is
suspected to be a contributory factor of, vaping. 
* The number of heart related conditions, due to, or where vaping is
suspected to be a contributory factor of, vaping. 

Has the Ministry of Health provided any Minister or Associate Minister
between 2014-2024 with research outlining the negative effects of vaping? 
If so, please provide copies of this.

Has the Ministry of Health advised any Minister or Associate Minister
between 2014-2024 of any of the following facts/research findings: 
1. 33 Countries That Have Banned the Sale of Vapes/Electronic Cigarettes

2. The US National Health Institutes of Health (NIH) research which
states: 
a. E-cigarette use increases an individual’s chance of using combustible
cigarettes. 
b. Adolescents who use e-cigarettes are 3.6 times more likely to report
using combustible cigarettes later in life. 
c. Teens have also been shown to be more susceptible to addiction. 
d. We know that nicotine addiction often originates in adolescence with
studies showing that close to 90% of adult daily smokers started before
the age of 18.10 Thus, e-cigarettes are effectively helping to create a
new generation addicted to nicotine.
e. Even in the absence of high nicotine levels in these products, users
are exposed to toxic chemicals – chemicals identified as carcinogenic –
created by the vaping of the humectant or flavors.
f. Adolescents should never use e-cigarette or vaping products:  

3. The World Health Organisation research / findings which state
a. Non-smoking young people who use ENDS (ENDS: electronic nicotine
delivery system) are more likely to become cigarette smokers, exposing
them to the harmful effects of smoking, including addiction to tobacco.
b. ENDS are undoubtedly harmful.
c. ENDS use among children and adolescents under the age of 20 years is of
concern in many countries, not only because of the detrimental effects of
nicotine in this age group but also because most young ENDS users are
non-tobacco users.
d. ENDS undermine tobacco control progress and threaten smoke-free
environments.
e. The use of ENDS risks renormalizing smoking behaviour, particularly
among younger populations.
f. E-cigarettes with nicotine are highly addictive and are harmful to
health. Whilst long-term health effects are not fully understood, it has
been established that they generate toxic substances, some of which are
known to cause cancer and some that increase the risk of heart and lung
disorders. 
g. Use of e-cigarettes can also affect brain development and lead to
learning disorders for young people. 
h. Fetal exposure to e-cigarettes can adversely affect the development of
the fetus in pregnant women. 
i. Exposure to emissions from e-cigarettes also poses risks to bystanders.
j. Children 13–15-years old are using e-cigarettes at rates higher than
adults in all WHO regions. In Canada, the rates of e-cigarette use among
16–19-year-olds has doubled between 2017–2022, and in England (the United
Kingdom) the number of young users has tripled in the past three years.
k. Cessation strategies should be based on the best available evidence of
efficacy, to go with other tobacco control measures and subject to
monitoring and evaluation. Based on the current evidence, it is not
recommended that governments permit sale of e-cigarettes as consumer
products in pursuit of a cessation objective.
l. High quality epidemiology studies consistently demonstrate that
e-cigarettes use increases conventional cigarette uptake, particularly
among non-smoking youth, by nearly 3 times.
m. There is growing evidence that ENDS could be associated with lung
injuries.
n. Both tobacco products and ENDS pose risks to health. The safest
approach is not to use either. 
o. E-cigarettes as consumer products have not been proven to be effective
for cessation at the population level. Instead, alarming evidence on
adverse population health effects is mounting.
p. The promotion of e-cigarettes has led to marked increases in
e-cigarette use by children and adolescents, with rates exceeding adult
use in many countries.

Yours faithfully,

D Towell

-------------------------------------------------------------------

This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #28409 email]

Is [Ministry of Health request email] the wrong address for Official Information requests
to Ministry of Health? If so, please contact us using this form:
[4]https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
[5]https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please
ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA
page.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

****************************************************************************
Statement of confidentiality: This e-mail message and any accompanying
attachments may contain information that is IN-CONFIDENCE and subject to
legal privilege.
If you are not the intended recipient, do not read, use, disseminate,
distribute or copy this message or attachments.
If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender
immediately and delete this message.
****************************************************************************

References

Visible links
1. http://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/
2. https://www.health.govt.nz/about-ministr...
3. https://covid19.govt.nz/
4. https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...
5. https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

hide quoted sections

Kia ora  
Thank you for your request for official information, received on 16
September 2024 for: 
“*All Briefings / memos / any other titled correspondence to Associate
Ministers and Ministers for the period 2014-2024 which specifically relate
to:
 1. Vaping use/advice/stats in NZ
 2. Cigarette use/advice/stats in NZ
* Any statistics held relating to the use of cigarettes and vaping devices
in NZ between 2014-2024 - if possible, broken down into years and age
groups.
To include: what percentage of the population smokes / vapes, the
frequency of use, the quantity of nicotine products being consumed.
Statistics for the past ten years (2014-2024) concerning the number of
medical conditions linked to, or suspected to be linked to, vaping
devices.
Specifically:
* The number of E-cigarette or vaping associated lung injuries (EVALI) (US
CDC term)
* If not classed as EVALI, the number of patients with collapsed lungs,
pnuemonia, or other lung related instances due to, or where vaping is
suspected to be a contributory factor of, vaping.
* The number of heart related conditions, due to, or where vaping is
suspected to be a contributory factor of, vaping.
Has the Ministry of Health provided any Minister or Associate Minister
between 2014-2024 with research outlining the negative effects of vaping?
If so, please provide copies of this.
Has the Ministry of Health advised any Minister or Associate Minister
between 2014-2024 of any of the following facts/research findings:
1. 33 Countries That Have Banned the Sale of Vapes/Electronic Cigarettes
2. The US National Health Institutes of Health (NIH) research which
states:
a. E-cigarette use increases an individual’s chance of using combustible
cigarettes.
b. Adolescents who use e-cigarettes are 3.6 times more likely to report
using combustible cigarettes later in life.
c. Teens have also been shown to be more susceptible to addiction.
d. We know that nicotine addiction often originates in adolescence with
studies showing that close to 90% of adult daily smokers started before
the age of 18.10 Thus, e-cigarettes are effectively helping to create a
new generation addicted to nicotine.
e. Even in the absence of high nicotine levels in these products, users
are exposed to toxic chemicals – chemicals identified as carcinogenic –
created by the vaping of the humectant or flavors.
f. Adolescents should never use e-cigarette or vaping products:
3. The World Health Organisation research / findings which state
a. Non-smoking young people who use ENDS (ENDS: electronic nicotine
delivery system) are more likely to become cigarette smokers, exposing
them to the harmful effects of smoking, including addiction to tobacco.
b. ENDS are undoubtedly harmful.
c. ENDS use among children and adolescents under the age of 20 years is of
concern in many countries, not only because of the detrimental effects of
nicotine in this age group but also because most young ENDS users are
non-tobacco users.
d. ENDS undermine tobacco control progress and threaten smoke-free
environments.
e. The use of ENDS risks renormalizing smoking behaviour, particularly
among younger populations.
f. E-cigarettes with nicotine are highly addictive and are harmful to
health. Whilst long-term health effects are not fully understood, it has
been established that they generate toxic substances, some of which are
known to cause cancer and some that increase the risk of heart and lung
disorders.
g. Use of e-cigarettes can also affect brain development and lead to
learning disorders for young people.
h. Fetal exposure to e-cigarettes can adversely affect the development of
the fetus in pregnant women.
i. Exposure to emissions from e-cigarettes also poses risks to bystanders.
j. Children 13–15-years old are using e-cigarettes at rates higher than
adults in all WHO regions. In Canada, the rates of e-cigarette use among
16–19-year-olds has doubled between 2017–2022, and in England (the United
Kingdom) the number of young users has tripled in the past three years.
k. Cessation strategies should be based on the best available evidence of
efficacy, to go with other tobacco control measures and subject to
monitoring and evaluation. Based on the current evidence, it is not
recommended that governments permit sale of e-cigarettes as consumer
products in pursuit of a cessation objective.
l. High quality epidemiology studies consistently demonstrate that
e-cigarettes use increases conventional cigarette uptake, particularly
among non-smoking youth, by nearly 3 times.
m. There is growing evidence that ENDS could be associated with lung
injuries.
n. Both tobacco products and ENDS pose risks to health. The safest
approach is not to use either.
o. E-cigarettes as consumer products have not been proven to be effective
for cessation at the population level. Instead, alarming evidence on
adverse population health effects is mounting.
p. The promotion of e-cigarettes has led to marked increases in
e-cigarette use by children and adolescents, with rates exceeding adult
use in many countries.” 
We are contacting you in accordance with section 18B of the Official
Information Act 1982 (the Act) as your request, as it is currently worded,
is for a very large volume of information. Your request may be refused
under section 18(f) of the Act as the information requested cannot be made
available without substantial collation or research. 
In order to provide you with information sooner and in order to work
within a more manageable request, are you happy to refine the timeframe of
your request to when the current Government was sworn in (27 November
2023)?
Please respond by COB 9 October 2024 so that we can consider your
refinement in our response to your request. 
Please note, under section 15 of the Official Information Act 1982, any
clarification or amendments made to a request within seven days after the
date it is received, that request may be treated as a new request and the
time limit for the response restarts. 
We look forward to receiving your response. 

Ngâ mihi 

 

OIA Services Team

Manatû Hauora | Ministry of Health

M[1]inistry of Health information releases 
U[2]nite against COVID-19 

****************************************************************************
Statement of confidentiality: This e-mail message and any accompanying
attachments may contain information that is IN-CONFIDENCE and subject to
legal privilege.
If you are not the intended recipient, do not read, use, disseminate,
distribute or copy this message or attachments.
If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender
immediately and delete this message.
****************************************************************************

References

Visible links
1. https://www.health.govt.nz/about-ministr...
2. https://covid19.govt.nz/

hide quoted sections

Kia ora,
Thank you for your request for official information, received on 16
September 2024 for: 
“*All Briefings / memos / any other titled correspondence to Associate
Ministers and Ministers for the period 2014-2024 which specifically relate
to:
 1. Vaping use/advice/stats in NZ
 2. Cigarette use/advice/stats in NZ
* Any statistics held relating to the use of cigarettes and vaping devices
in NZ between 2014-2024 - if possible, broken down into years and age
groups.
To include: what percentage of the population smokes / vapes, the
frequency of use, the quantity of nicotine products being consumed.
Statistics for the past ten years (2014-2024) concerning the number of
medical conditions linked to, or suspected to be linked to, vaping
devices.
Specifically:
* The number of E-cigarette or vaping associated lung injuries (EVALI) (US
CDC term)
* If not classed as EVALI, the number of patients with collapsed lungs,
pnuemonia, or other lung related instances due to, or where vaping is
suspected to be a contributory factor of, vaping.
* The number of heart related conditions, due to, or where vaping is
suspected to be a contributory factor of, vaping.
Has the Ministry of Health provided any Minister or Associate Minister
between 2014-2024 with research outlining the negative effects of vaping?
If so, please provide copies of this.
Has the Ministry of Health advised any Minister or Associate Minister
between 2014-2024 of any of the following facts/research findings:
1. 33 Countries That Have Banned the Sale of Vapes/Electronic Cigarettes
2. The US National Health Institutes of Health (NIH) research which
states:
a. E-cigarette use increases an individual’s chance of using combustible
cigarettes.
b. Adolescents who use e-cigarettes are 3.6 times more likely to report
using combustible cigarettes later in life.
c. Teens have also been shown to be more susceptible to addiction.
d. We know that nicotine addiction often originates in adolescence with
studies showing that close to 90% of adult daily smokers started before
the age of 18.10 Thus, e-cigarettes are effectively helping to create a
new generation addicted to nicotine.
e. Even in the absence of high nicotine levels in these products, users
are exposed to toxic chemicals – chemicals identified as carcinogenic –
created by the vaping of the humectant or flavors.
f. Adolescents should never use e-cigarette or vaping products:
3. The World Health Organisation research / findings which state
a. Non-smoking young people who use ENDS (ENDS: electronic nicotine
delivery system) are more likely to become cigarette smokers, exposing
them to the harmful effects of smoking, including addiction to tobacco.
b. ENDS are undoubtedly harmful.
c. ENDS use among children and adolescents under the age of 20 years is of
concern in many countries, not only because of the detrimental effects of
nicotine in this age group but also because most young ENDS users are
non-tobacco users.
d. ENDS undermine tobacco control progress and threaten smoke-free
environments.
e. The use of ENDS risks renormalizing smoking behaviour, particularly
among younger populations.
f. E-cigarettes with nicotine are highly addictive and are harmful to
health. Whilst long-term health effects are not fully understood, it has
been established that they generate toxic substances, some of which are
known to cause cancer and some that increase the risk of heart and lung
disorders.
g. Use of e-cigarettes can also affect brain development and lead to
learning disorders for young people.
h. Fetal exposure to e-cigarettes can adversely affect the development of
the fetus in pregnant women.
i. Exposure to emissions from e-cigarettes also poses risks to bystanders.
j. Children 13–15-years old are using e-cigarettes at rates higher than
adults in all WHO regions. In Canada, the rates of e-cigarette use among
16–19-year-olds has doubled between 2017–2022, and in England (the United
Kingdom) the number of young users has tripled in the past three years.
k. Cessation strategies should be based on the best available evidence of
efficacy, to go with other tobacco control measures and subject to
monitoring and evaluation. Based on the current evidence, it is not
recommended that governments permit sale of e-cigarettes as consumer
products in pursuit of a cessation objective.
l. High quality epidemiology studies consistently demonstrate that
e-cigarettes use increases conventional cigarette uptake, particularly
among non-smoking youth, by nearly 3 times.
m. There is growing evidence that ENDS could be associated with lung
injuries.
n. Both tobacco products and ENDS pose risks to health. The safest
approach is not to use either.
o. E-cigarettes as consumer products have not been proven to be effective
for cessation at the population level. Instead, alarming evidence on
adverse population health effects is mounting.
p. The promotion of e-cigarettes has led to marked increases in
e-cigarette use by children and adolescents, with rates exceeding adult
use in many countries.” 
As per our previous email on 7th October 2024, we are contacting you in
accordance with section 18B of the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act)
as your request, as it is currently worded, is for a very large volume of
information. Your request may be refused under section 18(f) of the Act as
the information requested cannot be made available without substantial
collation or research. 
In order to provide you with information sooner and in order to work
within a more manageable request, are you happy to refine the timeframe of
your request to when the current Government was sworn in (27 November
2023)?
Please respond as soon as possible so that we can consider your refinement
in our response to your request. 
Please note, under section 15 of the Official Information Act 1982, any
clarification or amendments made to a request within seven days after the
date it is received, that request may be treated as a new request and the
time limit for the response restarts. 
We look forward to receiving your response. 
Ngâ mihi,

  

OIA Services Team

Manatû Hauora | Ministry of Health

M[1]inistry of Health information releases 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: OIA Requests
Sent: Monday, 7 October 2024 16:20
To: D Towell <[FOI #28409 email]>
Subject: Refinement of your request for information, ref: H2024051745
CRM:0115384
 
Kia ora  
Thank you for your request for official information, received on 16
September 2024 for: 
“*All Briefings / memos / any other titled correspondence to Associate
Ministers and Ministers for the period 2014-2024 which specifically relate
to:
 1. Vaping use/advice/stats in NZ
 2. Cigarette use/advice/stats in NZ
* Any statistics held relating to the use of cigarettes and vaping devices
in NZ between 2014-2024 - if possible, broken down into years and age
groups.
To include: what percentage of the population smokes / vapes, the
frequency of use, the quantity of nicotine products being consumed.
Statistics for the past ten years (2014-2024) concerning the number of
medical conditions linked to, or suspected to be linked to, vaping
devices.
Specifically:
* The number of E-cigarette or vaping associated lung injuries (EVALI) (US
CDC term)
* If not classed as EVALI, the number of patients with collapsed lungs,
pnuemonia, or other lung related instances due to, or where vaping is
suspected to be a contributory factor of, vaping.
* The number of heart related conditions, due to, or where vaping is
suspected to be a contributory factor of, vaping.
Has the Ministry of Health provided any Minister or Associate Minister
between 2014-2024 with research outlining the negative effects of vaping?
If so, please provide copies of this.
Has the Ministry of Health advised any Minister or Associate Minister
between 2014-2024 of any of the following facts/research findings:
1. 33 Countries That Have Banned the Sale of Vapes/Electronic Cigarettes
2. The US National Health Institutes of Health (NIH) research which
states:
a. E-cigarette use increases an individual’s chance of using combustible
cigarettes.
b. Adolescents who use e-cigarettes are 3.6 times more likely to report
using combustible cigarettes later in life.
c. Teens have also been shown to be more susceptible to addiction.
d. We know that nicotine addiction often originates in adolescence with
studies showing that close to 90% of adult daily smokers started before
the age of 18.10 Thus, e-cigarettes are effectively helping to create a
new generation addicted to nicotine.
e. Even in the absence of high nicotine levels in these products, users
are exposed to toxic chemicals – chemicals identified as carcinogenic –
created by the vaping of the humectant or flavors.
f. Adolescents should never use e-cigarette or vaping products:
3. The World Health Organisation research / findings which state
a. Non-smoking young people who use ENDS (ENDS: electronic nicotine
delivery system) are more likely to become cigarette smokers, exposing
them to the harmful effects of smoking, including addiction to tobacco.
b. ENDS are undoubtedly harmful.
c. ENDS use among children and adolescents under the age of 20 years is of
concern in many countries, not only because of the detrimental effects of
nicotine in this age group but also because most young ENDS users are
non-tobacco users.
d. ENDS undermine tobacco control progress and threaten smoke-free
environments.
e. The use of ENDS risks renormalizing smoking behaviour, particularly
among younger populations.
f. E-cigarettes with nicotine are highly addictive and are harmful to
health. Whilst long-term health effects are not fully understood, it has
been established that they generate toxic substances, some of which are
known to cause cancer and some that increase the risk of heart and lung
disorders.
g. Use of e-cigarettes can also affect brain development and lead to
learning disorders for young people.
h. Fetal exposure to e-cigarettes can adversely affect the development of
the fetus in pregnant women.
i. Exposure to emissions from e-cigarettes also poses risks to bystanders.
j. Children 13–15-years old are using e-cigarettes at rates higher than
adults in all WHO regions. In Canada, the rates of e-cigarette use among
16–19-year-olds has doubled between 2017–2022, and in England (the United
Kingdom) the number of young users has tripled in the past three years.
k. Cessation strategies should be based on the best available evidence of
efficacy, to go with other tobacco control measures and subject to
monitoring and evaluation. Based on the current evidence, it is not
recommended that governments permit sale of e-cigarettes as consumer
products in pursuit of a cessation objective.
l. High quality epidemiology studies consistently demonstrate that
e-cigarettes use increases conventional cigarette uptake, particularly
among non-smoking youth, by nearly 3 times.
m. There is growing evidence that ENDS could be associated with lung
injuries.
n. Both tobacco products and ENDS pose risks to health. The safest
approach is not to use either.
o. E-cigarettes as consumer products have not been proven to be effective
for cessation at the population level. Instead, alarming evidence on
adverse population health effects is mounting.
p. The promotion of e-cigarettes has led to marked increases in
e-cigarette use by children and adolescents, with rates exceeding adult
use in many countries.” 
We are contacting you in accordance with section 18B of the Official
Information Act 1982 (the Act) as your request, as it is currently worded,
is for a very large volume of information. Your request may be refused
under section 18(f) of the Act as the information requested cannot be made
available without substantial collation or research. 
In order to provide you with information sooner and in order to work
within a more manageable request, are you happy to refine the timeframe of
your request to when the current Government was sworn in (27 November
2023)?
Please respond by COB 9 October 2024 so that we can consider your
refinement in our response to your request. 
Please note, under section 15 of the Official Information Act 1982, any
clarification or amendments made to a request within seven days after the
date it is received, that request may be treated as a new request and the
time limit for the response restarts. 
We look forward to receiving your response. 

Ngâ mihi 

 

OIA Services Team

Manatû Hauora | Ministry of Health

M[2]inistry of Health information releases 
U[3]nite against COVID-19 

****************************************************************************
Statement of confidentiality: This e-mail message and any accompanying
attachments may contain information that is IN-CONFIDENCE and subject to
legal privilege.
If you are not the intended recipient, do not read, use, disseminate,
distribute or copy this message or attachments.
If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender
immediately and delete this message.
****************************************************************************

References

Visible links
1. https://www.health.govt.nz/about-ministr...
2. https://www.health.govt.nz/about-ministr...
3. https://covid19.govt.nz/

hide quoted sections

Kia ora,

 

Please find attached the response for your request for official
information.

 

Ngā mihi 

 

OIA Services Team

Manatū Hauora | Ministry of Health

M[1]inistry of Health information releases 

 

****************************************************************************
Statement of confidentiality: This e-mail message and any accompanying
attachments may contain information that is IN-CONFIDENCE and subject to
legal privilege.
If you are not the intended recipient, do not read, use, disseminate,
distribute or copy this message or attachments.
If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender
immediately and delete this message.
****************************************************************************

References

Visible links
1. https://www.health.govt.nz/about-ministr...

hide quoted sections