in the country fell by 317,000. But between 2013 and 2016,
the number increased by 21,100. Meanwhile in the UK, the
smoking rate has dropped year-on-year since e-cigarettes
were popularised in 2012.
In response to the findings, Alex Wodak, director of the
Australian Drug Law Reform Foundation, said: “Australia is
doing everything right in terms of tobacco control, but one key
difference with the UK and USA, where smoking rates have
dropped, is our hostility to e-cigarettes.”
Vaping laws vary considerably by state with some such
as Western Australia banning the sale of e-cigarettes
altogether. Nicotine itself faces the biggest restrictions: in
Queensland it is illegal to import nicotine, even for personal
use, and it is illegal to use an e-cigarette that contains
nicotine. Whereas in Victoria, importation of nicotine and use
of nicotine-containing e-cigarettes are both legal.
Vapers can get around nicotine laws by importing from abroad
or buying out-of-state. But one of the big selling points of
e-cigarettes is their low cost and the ease with which devices
and liquids can be obtained. Stubborn, older smokers would
be far more inclined to try to quit tobacco if there was a
realistic alternative that could find the same high street as they
purchase combustible cigarettes.
There is a stark hypocrisy at play here – how can nicotine be
illegal but nicotine-containing stop-smoking medications
be available over-the-counter? And what about cigarettes
themselves? It appears to be nothing more than a matter of
ideology – a case of the government wanting to continue to
punish smokers after they’ve stopped smoking.
Now Australian vapers and industry experts are fighting back.
In “Tobacco Harm Reduction: A Formula to Save 500,000
Australian Lives,” associate professor Colin Mendelsohn,
tobacco treatment specialist at the School of Public Health
and Community Medicine, University of New South Wales, said:
“Australia needs to establish a balanced regulatory framework
now to allow legal access to nicotine containing e-cigarettes
for adult smokers who are unable or unwilling to quit, while
setting safety and quality standards and minimising risks to
non-smokers, including youth.”
In October 2017, 70 academics, researchers and clinicians
sent a letter to the National Health and Medical Research
Council. Citing progressive polices in the EU, US, Canada
and New Zealand, as well as the growing body of research
supporting vaping, the signatories called on the organisation
to develop evidence-based vaping guidelines.
“The latest NHMRC CEO statement on E-cigarettes was
published on 3 April 2017. As a result of subsequent research
and overseas experience, in our opinion it is not consistent
with the totality of evidence, particularly important studies that
have been published since it was completed.”
In a similar move to our own Vapouround Bus, Australian
vapers have taken to their #vapeforceone bus to spread the
message that vaping could save hundreds of thousands
of Australian lives. The campaign is partly a reaction to
comments by Health Minister Greg Hunt, who said in October
that a lifting of the ban on e-cigarettes “[is] not going to happen
IN RESPONSE TO
THE FINDINGS, ALEX
WODAK, DIRECTOR
OF THE AUSTRALIAN
DRUG LAW REFORM
FOUNDATION, SAID:
“AUSTRALIA IS DOING
EVERYTHING RIGHT IN
TERMS OF TOBACCO
CONTROL, BUT ONE
KEY DIFFERENCE
WITH THE UK AND
USA, WHERE SMOKING
RATES HAVE DROPPED,
IS OUR HOSTILITY TO
E-CIGARETTES.”
on my watch.”
Capital city Canberra was the first stop on the tour. Senator
Cory Bernardi was on-board and explained to news.com.au
his motivation for getting behind the campaign.
“The government’s position is illogical. Vaping is a much safer
way for people to satisfy their nicotine addiction and cravings.”
The bus will stop at over 30 destinations as it makes its way
around the country convincing politicians to push for the
legalisation of vaping. Meanwhile, organisations such as the
Australian branch of the New Nicotine Alliance and vaping
advocates like Clive Bates and professor Colin Mendelsohn
continue to champion e-cigarettes with evidence-based
arguments that are increasingly difficult for the government
to ignore.
No one would argue that nicotine is completely harmless. But
nor could that be said about caffeine or sugar. If Australia is to
reclaim its status as world leaders in tobacco harm-reduction
it must embrace the most successful harm-reduction method
available and not penalise former smokers for using it.
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