AS OTHER NATIONS CELEBRATE SUCCESS IN CUTTING SMOKING RATES ON WORLD VAPE DAY, AUSTRALIA WRESTLES WITH AN OUT-OF-CONTROL BLACK MARKET – SOMETHING NEEDS TO CHANGE

RESEARCH INCREASINGLY SHOWS VAPING LEADS TO POSITIVE PUBLIC HEALTH OUTCOMES

AUSTRALIA’S APPROACH IS BEHIND THE REST OF THE WORLD AND SUPPORTING THE BLACK MARKET FOR TEENS

WORLD VAPE DAY ON MAY 30 IS A CHANCE TO RESET THE CONVERSATION

May 30 marks World Vape Day, and while other nations will be celebrating success in reducing smoking rates, Australia is wrestling with a burgeoning black market and rising rates of youth vaping that could be tackled with simple policy changes, Legalise Vaping Australia (LVA) said today.

Australia introduced a “prescription-only” regime for nicotine vaping products on October 1 last year – the strictest vaping rules in any advanced economy.

The new regime has seen multiple reports of an explosion of vaping in schools while people who smoke cigarettes face extensive hurdles to access a safer alternative legally.

“It’s a classic case of unintended consequences,” said Brian Marlow, LVA campaign director. “This policy may have been well-intentioned, but it has been an unmitigated failure.

“Most importantly, any time we talk about vaping regulation, we have to remember that smoking cigarettes is the single biggest cause of preventable deaths in Australia. People do not die from vaping, despite what some of the scare campaigns want you to believe.

“So World Vape Day is a good occasion to look at the experience of other countries, where smoking rates have been in dramatic decline.

“This year has seen a steady drum-beat of research in globally respected, peer-reviewed medical journals that shows the power vaping has to improve public health outcomes,” Mr Marlow said.

Just some of the research recently released has found:

  • A study of 10,000 teenagers in the US concluded there was no evidence that vaping among teens was a gateway to cigarette smoking in early adulthood – one of the main reasons that policymakers in Australia object to legalizing vaping. (Summary)

  • A UK study found that e-cigarettes are as safe as nicotine patches for pregnant smokers trying to quit, and may be a more effective tool. (The Guardian)

  • A global study of 3500 people across four countries including Australia, published in Addictive Behaviours, concluded that daily vaping increased the likelihood that smokers would be able to quit cigarettes. (Summary)

  • A comparative analysis of the policies of the US, Australia, and New Zealand, published in the prestigious American Journal of Public Health, noted “widespread non-compliance” with the law. New Zealand, by contrast, where e-cigarettes can be bought by adults in retail environments, appears to have the most favourable outcomes for public health. (Link)

“The science is catching up to where consumers have already gone,” said Mr Marlow. “The Australian government and the Therapeutic Goods Administration must begin to look seriously at the evidence if they are truly interested in good public health outcomes.”

“New Zealand and the UK have well-functioning models where they are reducing rates of smoking and no hysteria about vaping in schools. The current excessive regulation in Australia supports the black market, delivering benefits for criminals, worse health outcomes for citizens, and higher costs on the community.

“World Vape Day should be the day for us to restart the conversation on vaping in Australia.”

 

Ends.

Brian Marlow is available for interviews: 0439 138 826.

Brian Marlow