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"Different set of priorities": Police Minister on the lack of enforcement of vaping and smoking law

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Thu, 6 Nov 2025, 8:42am
Photo / Getty
Photo / Getty

"Different set of priorities": Police Minister on the lack of enforcement of vaping and smoking law

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Thu, 6 Nov 2025, 8:42am

The Police Minister says he has more pressing priorities than the enforcement of a law banning smoking or vaping in cars with children. 

Last year, Newstalk ZB revealed Police never updated systems so officers could issue fines and had no plans to.  

Police say the systems remain the same fourteen months on, and no fines have been issued. 

Mark Mitchell told Ryan Bridge this is an operational issue for Police, and he's focused on other things. 

He says his priority is getting on top of aggravated robberies and other violent crime. 

Mitchell says Police have been very clear they prefer to educate parents rather than fine them, and he supports that approach. 

He says despite this, the legislation remains, and they're still working on a system to action it. 

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