Source: Radio New Zealand
123RF
Around a third of Gisborne vape stores subject to compliance checks last year were found to have broken the rules.
Of the 18 stores subject to controlled purchase operations (CPO), four failed for selling to minors and three failed for other reasons, including the sale of disposable vapes.
The results, from 1 February, 2025, to 28 February, 2026, were revealed in a Health New Zealand Official Information Act response to Local Democracy Reporting (LDR) questions.
According to the OIA, all 18 controlled purchase operations took place in June last year.
The data did not specify what each store failed for, and some retailers failed more than once.
Retailers told LDR they had since made changes to meet compliance, with one store saying they no longer sold vapes.
Which stores failed?
- Gisborne retailers that failed a vape-related CPO in June 2025:
- Friends Indian Takeaway & Dairy (61 Gladstone Rd)
- Elgin Vape Shop (signposted as Elgin Dairy, 683 Childers Rd)
- Grocery Hutt (384 Palmerston Rd)
- Roebuck Road Superette and Takeaways (141A Roebuck Rd)
- Bridge Store (19 Roebuck Rd)
- De Lautour Road Superette (92a De Lautour Rd)
Of the stores that gave comments to LDR, Pushwinder Kaur of Friends Indian Takeaways and Dairy said failing compliance was a one-off. It had not happened in the 16-17 years they had operated the store.
They had paid their fine and now checked every ID for those who looked like they could be under the age range of 18-25.
Owner of Roebuck Rd Superette and Takeaways, Simranjid Singh, also owned De Lautour Rd Superette. Singh said both of his stores failed because of a lack of staff training and awareness of the rule changes for the sales of disposable vapes.
Singh and Kaur both said they did not sell the fruity flavoured vape products.
Manager of Grocery Hutt, Sidharth Chawla, said they no longer sold vapes but were looking at applying for a licence in the future.
Owner of the Elgin Vape shop, Shao-Qing Li, said, through an interpreter, she believed there was a mistake in the CPO results but had paid the fines.
Six Gisborne vape stores failed vape-related Control Purchase Operations in June 2025. Gisborne Herald
Vape sales compliance education ‘far more active’ – medical officer of health
Douglas Lush, a medical officer of health in the region, said vapes could be bought at 84 places (not only dedicated vape stores) within Gisborne city.
Lush said a store could be targeted for a CPO if there were any concerns from the public or a reason for suspicion.
Tai Rāwhiti now has a permanent compliance officer, who visits suppliers, educates them on the legislation and ensures they adhere to the rules.
“We’ve been far more active with vape sales than we have been in the past.”
On 17 June last year, intending to discourage youth from vaping, the government banned disposable vapes, which were cheap and had adverse environmental impacts, Lush said.
“Vaping has a small and declining role in helping long-term smokers kick smoking, but has no benefits for rangitahi who become rapidly addicted to the nicotine that is contained in the vapes.”
The National Public Health Service would continue to “investigate, educate and then prosecute retailers who do not adhere to the law”, he said.
The infringement fine is $2000 for each offence, and retailers can be fined for multiple offences.
Infringements ‘very concerning’ – mayor
Gisborne Mayor Rehette Stoltz said it was “very concerning” to see retailers failing to meet compliance checks.
“Particularly where young people may have been able to access vaping products.”
As a response to an increase in young people taking up vaping, the council’s smoke-free and vape-free policy was updated last July to include vaping and the city centre.
According to the council report, results from a 2024 survey undertaken by the Action for Smokefree 2025 revealed that 21.9 percent of Year 10 students in Tai Rāwhiti vaped daily – 63 percent of these Māori.
Stoltz said the policy was “focused on promoting healthy public spaces and taking steps to ensure harmful habits are less visible and less normalised, especially for rangatahi”.
“Compliance and enforcement at the point of sale are matters for health agencies, but as a community we should all expect better when it comes to protecting young people.”
What do schools say?
LDR approached some schools near stores that failed the CPO.
Ilminster Intermediate is near De Lautour Road Superette, which failed. Principal Jonathan Poole said it was concerning that children were able to get hold of vapes with “ease” and how the various flavours available appealed to young people.
“It’s the accessibility that our kids have to these things… they’re either buying them, they’re getting other people to buy them, or they’re just bringing them from home.”
He believed other principals were experiencing the same issues.
Poole said he had seen an increase in vaping last year, but the school seemed to be “on top of it” this year. It was not just at intermediate and high-school level.
“Kids are vaping at a very young age.”
Poole was concerned kids were addicted to their vapes, which is why they were bringing them into school.
“It’s because it’s become a long-term habit already.”
When asking some children last year why they vaped, they responded with: “Oh, we just like the taste.”
“It’s the flavour, it’s like a lolly,” Poole said.
– LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
