Behind every cloud is a silver lining but in the Cook Islands it will soon be known that behind every cloud is a million dollars fine if you import and sell vapes in the Cook Islands, writes Ruta Mave.

Thank you TMO (Ministry of Health) for your hilarious attempt to be a good parent and save our children.

We have the gold medal for the most obese children in the world and you decide that banning vaping is going to solve it? Get real. Wake up.

Of course, we are appalled that a six-year-old has been vaping. Yes, vaping may lead to smoking which contributes to our NCD problem but, tobacco is not the main ingredient towards our obesity.

TMO should be banning the silent killer in our society which is imitation sugar drinks, high sugar drinks and sugar in general.

If TMO want to protect the child then put in health measures that directly affect the child. Ban all sugary fizzy drinks being given to children under the age of 12 years. If you want to save their teeth, stop feeding baby’s fruit juice instead of milk. Then ban lollies like minties and milkshakes being given to children under five years old. 

The reason a six-year-old is vaping is because they taste sweet. I am sure you won’t see a six-year-old with a stick of Rothmans Royal Blue in their mouth because they aren’t sweet. It is not the nicotine that gets them addicted, it’s the sugar.

The sweet taste is what gets you to try it in the first place. Then after a few hits the nicotine does its sweet high dance in your brain making you feel good and you get hooked. From there you need to vape or smoke more to get the same high. Welcome to addiction and literally see your money go up in flames or smoke.

We as a society crave the presence of sugar in everything we ingest that is why we are so fat. The old peer pressure of inhaling a ciggy and choking on the smoke days are gone. Vaping is a sweet, sly serpent sitting softly on our tongue and we are satiated.

If TMO seriously want to improve the health of our large society then ban high sugar and imitation sugar drinks which more people of all ages drink more often than those who vape. The worst is energy drink Rock Star, number four is Monster, eighth is Red Bull – all have been on sale in the Cook Islands for a long time.

They are not only high in sugar but also in caffeine and kids under 10 years are allowed to drink them. These drinks can lead to heart and kidney problems. They are deadly but no one cares. Hook them as a child, have an addict as an adult.

You would be better to send a kid to school with a shot of espresso and three teaspoons of sugar than these drinks. It sounds wrong but the reality is this recipe has less caffeine and way-less sugar than the canned drinks.

If TMO have the power to invoke such strong laws and easily put up the smoking tobacco age of adults from 18 to 21 years. Why has there never been a word or whisper banning alcohol? Alcohol has been cited as a lead cause for fighting, road deaths and domestic violence. Does TMO think six-year-olds don’t drink? Are they sure?

If a six-year-old is vaping where are the parents? Who is looking after the kid? Fine parents, punish them, put them in jail for three months. If you want to stop kids from vaping, create better parenting by adults. I do support banning vaping but good luck with that by the way.

I believe in role modelling in a family unit. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

But banning adults from vaping to protect the child, why have we not made more laws banning bad behaviour? Adults drink then drive home and beat their wives and children and suffer diabetes every day, yet no laws banning alcohol. Those children will grow up and repeat.

When a young boy drove his motorbike drunk and died, the government immediately brought in a compulsory law wearing helmets.

People can ask where were the parents? Why was he drinking? Parenting teenagers is hard, but who should be accountable for the children? Should Government or TMO be the parent?

Everyone wears a helmet now but sadly people still die. People must change their attitude and addiction to alcohol without laws.

A more far-reaching goal would be for TMO to raise the drinking age from 18 to 21.

Fine drinking establishments a million dollars for serving drunk people and sending them out onto our roads plus fine them $100,000 per offence. That would see more positive change in our health, wealth and child welfare.