A local youth advocacy group says Wānaka’s new vaping device shop is disappointing.

Wānaka Vapes on Ardmore Street is due to open next month. It will be one of close to a dozen retailers where vaping products can be purchased, but Wānaka’s first dedicated vaping store.

"The opening of this store is disappointing, particularly in light of recent feedback from 181 Upper Clutha youth, the majority of whom cited vaping as the biggest issue facing youth today,” Path Wānaka/Ara ki Wānaka chair Niamh Shaw told the Wānaka App. 

Path Wānaka (formerly Wānaka Alcohol Group) was formed in 2016 over concerns of young people’s drinking but it has since broadened its remit to cover a range of ‘adult-sized problems’ faced by local youth.

Forty-three percent of young people who responded to a recent Upper Clutha Youth Voice Survey said they engaged in vaping.

It was one of a number of negative risk-taking behaviours young people in Wānaka are engaging in, with others including alcohol consumption (67 percent), binge drinking (33 percent), vaping and gambling (43 percent).

Read more: Harmful behaviour by young people a concern - survey

Niamh said vaping regulations have not been put in place fast enough.

"Although legislation around provision of vapes has tightened in the last couple of months, it still feels like too little too late,” she said.

“The current legislation doesn't go half far enough in protecting our young people.”

An Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) survey undertaken in Wānaka in 2022 found that vape usage among year 10 students was well above national averages in some areas, with 50.4 percent of students having tried vaping (the national average in 40.1 percent) and 24 percent reporting regular vaping (compared to 18.2 percent nationally).

Niamh said while vaping has been an issue in Wānaka for some time, she expected that the community would “would be interested to understand what measures the store will put in place to protect youth and its diligence in enforcing the 18+ sign on the door”.

Respondents to the Upper Clutha Youth Voice Survey pointed to the availability of vapes as a risk factor.

“Remove vapes from all the stores and shut down online vape stores,” one respondent said.

Niamh said MAC educates students about vaping specifically in relation to risk taking, peer pressure and making positive choices as part of health education, and Path Wānaka was expanding its vaping education. 

"Path is planning more support around vaping, especially in response to the expressed desire to have more education on the negative effects of taking harmful substances and the need to prevent younger students from getting involved in consuming them,” she said. 

BottleO Wānaka, the owner of Wānaka Vapes, was approached for comment.

PHOTO: Wānaka App