NZ Vape Retailer Prosecuted for Repeated Under-18 Sales
Discount Mall Vape Ltd fined $35,000 for repeated under-18 vape sales and allowing minors entry.Summary
Discount Mall Vape Ltd, a specialist vape retailer, has been fined $35,000 following a joint prosecution by Health New Zealand and the Ministry of Health. This is the first prosecution against a Specialist Vape Retailer for both selling vapes to under-18s and failing to take all practicable steps to prevent young people from entering its premises, and the seventh such prosecution since 2023. David Shanks, Deputy Director-General of Regulatory Services at the Ministry of Health, said the case sends a clear message that failing to protect young people will have consequences. Becky Jenkins, Director - Protection at Health New Zealand, noted that investigations revealed ten instances of a young person entering a store and six of those resulted in a vape purchase, calling it an unacceptable breach of child protection laws. The sentencing coincides with increased enforcement, including more than double the store visits and controlled purchase operations since 2023/24, leading to over 600 infringement notices for breaches of smokefree laws.
(Source：Mirage News)
