Feeling lost and angry over the death of his father, Lucas Sykes started vaping in 2021 after his friends suggested it would help the grieving process. He was 10. What started as a “dumb move” developed into a nicotine addiction, Lucas says.
Although retailers in New Zealand are prohibited from selling products to children, Lucas had no trouble purchasing “very affordable, easy-to-get, and pleasant to taste” vapes from a convenience store just 10 metres from his school.
