While there are often loud and emotional headlines surrounding the electronic cigarette industry, there are also important positive changes taking place in the world.

In New Zealand, the public health care system is Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora has launched a pilot initiative where smoking cessation services offer adult smokers vape kits as an additional support tool.

It is important that we are not talking about the uncontrolled sale of electronic cigarettes. The program combines access to an alternative product with professional behavioral support and nicotine replacement therapy to help people quit traditional smoking.

According to official data from Health New Zealand, 5,261 people successfully quit smoking between January and August 2025. Of these, 1,889 people, or 36%, used a vape kit within the program.

These results suggest that for some adult smokers, electronic cigarettes may be a practical tool for transitioning from traditional cigarettes. This is especially true for people who have previously failed to quit smoking using other methods.

For Ukraine, this is an important example of what modern policy in the field of electronic cigarettes can look like: not bans for the sake of bans, but effective control, age restrictions, responsible trade, support for adult smokers and the fight against the illegal market.

🔗 Source: https://www.healthnz.govt.nz/about-us/what-we-do/programmes-and-initiatives/vaping