Jo Pugh: National Public Health Service Compliance Manager on vape stores getting caught selling products to underage customers

Health New Zealand says some vape stores are putting profit over the health of our children.

In July, the agency sent underage volunteers to 600 stores to attempt to buy vape and cigarette products.

63 retailers were caught - and will face infringement fines.

National Public Health Service Compliance Manager Jo Pugh says it's very disappointing.

"As a result, we sent out more infringement fines of $500 in this month than we have ever before."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
One in ten retailers get a load of this who
sell vapes and ciggies have been busted in a sting
selling to kids under eighteen. In July, howth New Zealand
sent some underage volunteers into six hundred stores to try
to buy the vapes and the cigies. Sixty three of
them were caught selling it.

Speaker 2 (00:16):
Now.

Speaker 1 (00:16):
Joe Pugh is the compliance manager at the National Public
Health Service. He Joe, you are a Joe. Do you
know what proportion of these were ciggies and what proportion
of these were vapes?

Speaker 2 (00:27):
It would be a mixture, but we mostly did compliance
visits on retailers for vape.

Speaker 1 (00:34):
Okay, how do you feel about that that ten percent
of them were busted?

Speaker 2 (00:40):
Actually really pleased that most of the retailers refused to
sell to one of our young people. However, it is
really disappointing that over sixty retailers of our six hundred
that we visited did actually sell to a mine. I say,
very disappointing, and as a result, we've sent out more
infringement finds of five hundred dollars in this month than

(01:01):
we have ever before.

Speaker 1 (01:04):
Ten percent non compliance seems really high to me. Doesn't
it to you.

Speaker 2 (01:10):
I think it is high and it's definitely why we're
having a strong focus on youth vaping and smoking at
the moment. It's incredibly disappointing that retailers are putting their
profits over the health and well being of our katanaky,
our children.

Speaker 1 (01:27):
Do you think that the problem here is that there
aren't enough enforcement officers, so these guys feel like it's
worth taking a risk.

Speaker 2 (01:36):
We've been focusing on visiting retail as the compliance for
some time and we are about to well. We have
been ramping up our work in that space. So I
think it is a range of factors and we couldn't
just put it down to the enforcement offices we have.

Speaker 1 (01:55):
Joe, thank you. I really appreciate you having a chat
to us about this. Is Joe Pugh, the compliance manager
the National Public Health Service. Listen, these guys are really
keen for the public to actually report anything like this
happening because obviously they aren't enough enforcement There obviously aren't
enough enforcement officers. So basically they're asking that if you
see anyone selling vapes or ciggies to underage kids, you
need to report it to your public health office. I

(02:18):
have had dealings with the Public Health Office. And let
me tell you, if these people were running the country,
we would be efficient. They mean business and they know
how to do it. Twenty one past five. For more
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