Evolution & Growth

Just an update from AVCA Central for those interested.   Hard to believe that we have been officially doing our thing for over two years now (Mind you we have all been at it for much longer, but officially, when we decided to organise that is), but here we are!  

First, we would like to announce that we have begun adding to our group of merrymakers here with the addition of Hazel Lyn Malgapo Mallare to AVCA as our Research and Resource Coordinator.  Hazel has kindly accepted our offer to be our researcher and help to post information to our Facebook Groups, and assist with the management of our (eventual, currently in process) resource library for our website.   This will be of great assistance not only to the Jan who has been doing the work of four people these past months, but also to the community as more information comes to light and is shared so that folks know what the latest is as it relates to science, legislation and global concerns surrounding tobacco harm reduction.  

Secondly, the board of trustees has had our quarterly meeting and from those discussions we have firmed up the plans for the Vape It Forward program.  We have known for some time that it needed to evolve.  The more vapers there are, and the more vendors that are out there in our communities, the less of a need to provide loaner equipment and sundries to those who wish to switch to vaping from combustibles.

Therefore, the VIF program will now consist of two parts – the first being the original AVCA VIF Mentor/Advocate program, whereby new vapers will have access to a mentor/advocate to support them during their transition and the new, second part which will be launched on our website in January 2018.

The second part is the expansion of VIF to provide information, evidence and resources to District Councils, District Health Boards, Primary Health Organisations and other interested organisations who wish to know more about vaping, and who can access information that is objective.   There will be a resource library of scientifically verified information on all aspect of ELVS,  as well as results from various VIF mentoring programs throughout NZ, as well as the latest news and information from a legislative and technological viewpoint made available through our website (www.avca.org.nz).  

We are doing this VIF expansion to keep the vapers, and interested parties of/in New Zealand informed with up to date information as part of our mission of “Inform and Educate”.  Once it is setup and running we will inform everyone through social media, and will be providing updates through our main Facebook page.

There are other campaigns and programs that we will be initiating as we go forward obviously as we address the changing nature of the situation for vapers here in New Zealand (and elsewhere).

And so it goes…..any questions please feel free to contact us.

10 November 2017, Masterton New Zealand

Nancy Sutthoff
Nancy comes from a diverse administrative background that includes surgical research administration, teaching (primary and tertiary level), executive administration and community property management. For over 15 years she has been very active in community advocacy with youth, lower income folk needing advocacy and now, vaping advocacy. She brings a wealth of scientific, medical and research administrative/management knowledge with her to her role as CEO/Director at AVCA.