New Zealand's largest vape retailer Shosha under investigation
New Zealand's largest vape retailer, Shosha, is under investigation for using a US-registered website and Instagram account to bypass advertising regulations.Summary
New Zealand's largest vape retailer, Shosha, is under investigation by the Ministry of Health for allegedly using a US-registered website and Instagram account to circumvent advertising regulations that took effect in June 2025. A week before the ban, Shosha emailed customers directing them to a new .com "global" website where product images remained visible and orders could be placed. Researchers at Auckland University found that the website's "find in store" tool only listed New Zealand locations, and test purchases arrived from Auckland within three days, indicating the site was a workaround for local customers rather than a genuine global venture. The associated Instagram account, shosha.global, was based in New Zealand and posted images of vaping products with NZ-specific warning labels, Matariki references, and local nicotine concentration limits, violating the advertising ban. The Ministry of Health said it was reviewing whether its position on the website had changed, but had no knowledge of the Instagram account. Seventy-one infringement notices for website advertising breaches were issued between June 2025 and July 2026, but the ministry noted jurisdictional challenges with overseas-registered companies. Researcher Lucy Hardie called for stronger enforcement, arguing that without it, the legislation is meaningless and other companies may follow suit. Shosha did not respond to requests for comment.
(Source：1news)
