OPINION: I see Imperial Tobacco is planning to close its doors in Petone, leaving 122 jobs at risk.
It's not needed any longer as vaping takes hold around the world, but this vaping, it's an unusual past time isn't it.
It's just crept into our society. No big debate, no discussion, just an acceptance. This must be better than smoking.
I personally find it bloody odd and I'm highly sceptical, about not only the advertising that says this is 95 percent better for you than smoking, but about the practice full stop.
How have we allowed this to explode into our market here without a legal framework, without decent research into the health impacts. We need some kind of law governing vaping.
Truth is this Government has been damn slow and possibly even damn gullible as well. It's kind of all possum in the headlights, or worse still, lost in the smoke.
It's 100 percent safer if you don't smoke this crap at all.
I'm sure your lungs don't breathe a sigh of relief when they realise arghh this watermelon vape. How soothing.
There have been deaths linked to vaping and what's more, it's a fashion crime too.
Grown men and women sucking a metal device, holding a silly capsule between their fingers, spewing out huge puffs of watermelon blueberry huff.
The flavours are limitless. It''s like a menu at a five-year-old's party at Chipmunks. At least we know Chipmunks will send the kids away with a sugar high. What you're getting from vaping, who knows.
The Minister can't even tell us what the suckers are sucking on. Jenny Salesa's promise in 2018 to sort this out hasn't been met.
But now some good news. Research from ASH and Auckland Uni on Thursday suggests there isn't a youth vaping epidemic.
Yes, young people have most definitely experimented with it, but despite that, regular daily use hasn't happened, especially for non-smokers.
Keep it up. Now Minister, get on with it.
Duncan Garner is the host of The AM Show.
