Hello World!

AVCA is now officially registered as Charity in New Zealand.

Aotearoa Vapers Community Advocacy (AVCA) is pleased to announce that we have been approved and are now a registered New Zealand Charity (CC53899).  This development will allow us to continue the work we are currently doing and expand upon it to deliver our mission of Educate, Inform and Advocate throughout New Zealand.  This is what AVCA does – we educate the public and any interested party regarding e-cigarettes – what we do, why we do it and how to best utilise them to switch from combustible tobacco, as well as officially represent the vaping consumers of New Zealand in the international vaping community as a founding member of INNCO (innco.org).

Our most recent local efforts have been geared towards mentoring smokers towards vaping and  providing information, education and assistance to smoking cessation providers countrywide, free of charge.  We have also provided the government with scientific information, peer reviewed research and links to experts and recent, objective information on e-cigarettes and vaping.

Information is key.  Knowledge is power.  We are about empowering people to make choices based on recent, scientific information combined with the anecdotal experiences of those who have successfully made the switch from combustible tobacco to e-cigarettes.

Our charities registration will now allow us to reach a wider audience to further disseminate information and knowledge, as well as seek funding, accept koha/donations to begin new projects.  We are looking to expand our presence through the use of online seminars, training and info sessions for those providers who are not served by a local AVCA mentor/advocate as the majority of our work is in the community, building support networks and getting information on vaping to the people who want and need it and helping them.    As stated in our logo – Educate, Inform and Advocate in the community – the priorities are education, information and advocacy for everyone in Aotearoa New Zealand as it relates to vaping.  

Our Vape it Forward (VIF) program has had a 95% success rate (April – October 2016)  in switching people from tobacco to vaping.  We are looking forward to maintaining that success, sharing our knowledge and information on vaping and expanding our programs into the community.

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.