RECENTLY I chatted to two teenagers who were using e-cigarettes at a bus stop. One got his through a doctor's prescription; the other online.
Both said they contained nicotine and were "cooler" than flavoured e-cigarettes which you could buy at a chemist. Most vapes contain nicotine.
Australia is one of the very few countries in the world where you need a doctor's prescription to obtain e-cigarettes.
In most countries, you can buy them at convenience stores. This includes New Zealand.
The National Party has been advocating for vape devices to be treated like regular cigarettes with usual guidelines regarding age etc.
The South Australia government has recently passed legislation that vape use is banned around schools, shopping centres and public areas.
Furthermore, people selling vapes to minors face heavy fines. The critics of this say it will only drive people to return to regular smoking - particularly users in regional areas where there are no vape shops.
The Cancer Council has been urging the government to tighten regulations on nicotine vape devices, arguing that nicotine is highly addictive.
Half of all users are under 40 years old. Most people use both.
One disposable device is equivalent to six packets of regular cigarettes.
Because e-cigarettes are relatively recent, very few studies have been conducted on them. But what has been found is very alarming.
The Health Institute recently found they can cause lung and heart disease. They contain many dangerous chemicals. I support and respect Australia's stance.
Helen Douglas, Stockton
State of verges embarrassing
FOR at least two years the condition of road dividing strips and verges around Newcastle and Lake Macquarie have been a blight on our cities.
Obviously City of Newcastle and Lake Macquarie City Council councillors have little pride in the gateway to Newcastle, especially the highway from Gateshead through to the city.
The grass, weeds and some small trees just get higher and no one cares.
When people visit, you feel ashamed that they see how neglected our city is.
I would say the state of the dividing strips is comparable to that of a third world country.
Those responsible, being our councillors, would do better to look after our existing assets before spending money on new and, at times, unnecessary projects that add little to our community.
Maybe a look at Tamworth, Mudgee, and the Perth metropolitan area might make CN and LMCC realise just how disgraceful our dividing strips and verges look in comparison.
Let's get some people on each council who care about our two cities.
John Murray, Adamstown Heights
Responsible parenting
STRIKING the right balance between being a 'helicopter parent' and allowing your child to 'run the streets' is critical parental responsibility ('How much is too much? Getting the balance right for busy kids', Newcastle Herald, 14/4).
When the cost of living is rising, it is too easy once your child has rejected offers of piano or tennis lessons to say 'that's another budgetary saving'.
Children are reluctant to try new things that reduce their playtime.
But the time to learn these new skills is when they are young. This will open new social opportunities.
Geoff Black, Caves Beach
Knights TV coverage
FIRSTLY, Bravo Zulu to the Knights on their concerted effort in Saturday night's game against Penrith.
I had doubts they would be able to continue to put in the strength of effort that they did, but they did Newcastle fans and the city proud.
Even though we went down by a point, I do not think that anyone could be disappointed with the game.
Now, when the pre-match coverage was being conducted I was given the thought that I was watching the 'We love Penrith TV Show'.
We were given such an in-depth overview of all the players, that I could have written a thesis on the Penrith football club.
Then, at the end of the game, there was an end-of-match interview with Nathan Cleary, but nothing with or about the Knights - I consider that to be the height of rudeness.
The team is playing at home with 15,000 to 20,000 of the 22,000 spectators supporting the Knights and not a thing on the broadcast. It was ignorant.
If we are able to continue the performance effort shown on Saturday, I believe we would be a contender for the final, and it would be so good to trounce Penrith in it.
William Hancock, Rankin Park
$6 million is a lot of money
PETER Devey ('Inflation may spread super pain', Letters, 15/4), I believe you are being deceptive about the proposed super tax to the point that Trump would be proud of you.
To fill the void - here is the (to me) obvious truth.
Australia's Superannuation system treats couples as two individuals (couples do not have one account).
Each individual is proposed to have a reduction in tax benefits for balances over $3 million dollars.
So, for a couple, that means they would have to have more than $3 million in each of their two accounts for a total of $6 million before the reduction in benefits kicks in.
In other words - a rich couple would require $6 million total in their accounts to have any reduction in benefit. That is a lot of money, now, and into the foreseeable future.
Glen Wilson, Cardiff
Need more details on Voice
TO all those looking on with glee at Julian Leeser resigning from the Opposition front bench over the Liberal Party's position on the Voice - can you imagine if he was in the Labor Party and publicly opposed party policy? He would have been expelled from the Labor Party.
At least the Liberal Party allows people to vote according to their conscience without ending their political career in the party.
The Labor Party affords people no such freedom - it's either vote with the party line or you're out.
The Albanese Labor government has been so sneaky and underhanded with the way in which it is trying to bring in the Indigenous Voice to Parliament.
They won't even tell the Australian people the wording of the legislation to bring in the Voice until after the referendum.
They are asking us to vote for something without even knowing what powers it is going to have.
This is dangerous territory, and something that needs to be opposed until we have all the information at hand.
If you don't understand it - don't vote for it. Vote 'no'.
Matt Eggleston, West Perth
SHORT TAKES
SURELY Lizotte's combination of great food with live music and providing a great atmosphere would be a licence to print money ('Encore for Lizotte's stage', Newcastle Herald, 12/4). It also seems to be one of the few live music venues in Newcastle that isn't burdened with noise complaints from nuisance neighbours.
Adz Carter, Newcastle
I DON'T get it. We seem obsessed with buying Chinese, Japanese, Taiwanese and Korean products. We seem to identify with what the US says and we have painful Monarchists associated with the UK, but when we are asked to vote on a Voice to Parliament for our Indigenous people, we are at odds. Just vote 'yes' and get on with life.
Wayne Grant, Waratah
STEWART King (Short Takes, 14/4), your questions regarding the Voice are entirely valid, but don't expect answers from this government. They hope the referendum will pass purely depending on the "vibe" and then plan to take another six months to tell us how it will work. Meanwhile, desperate Indigenous communities need help right now but our PM would rather parade himself at music festivals, tennis and the Mardi Gras.
Greg Hunt, Newcastle West
AGE discrimination in the workplace? I don't see it. We are probably going to have a Biden vs Trump election so you rebels who were born in the 1980s, the greenhorn generation, take comfort in the fact you still have 40 years to prepare for your chance to run the free world. Generations X, Y and 'why were you born into a climate catastrophe' will have to wait a little while longer. However, good things come to those who wait. Patience is a virtue, so it's going to be a bit of a wait before your virtues have any weight. In the meantime, get a real job.
Steve Barnett, Fingal Bay
IN his budget reply speech last October, Opposition leader Peter Dutton said: "Investing in renewable energy, reducing emissions and doing so credibly to protect our environment is crucial". I don't think even Michael Hinchey's "dodging and weaving" (Short Takes, 14/4) can make this mean "anything but renewables"?
Peter Dolan, Lambton
INTERESTING reading Jeremy Bath's "opinion" ('Pool's future fund 'needs $1m a year'', Herald, 15/4). Yes, it is wonderful that CoN will ensure that its five inland pools continue to serve the community, which ratepayers want and pay for. Please also update us with your "opinion" regarding the progress of the skatepark at South Newcastle Beach and the ocean baths - when will these wonderful facilities be finished and able to be used?
Maria Pye, New Lambton
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