New Government vaping study fails to answer the most basic public health question on e-cigarettes

The Government-funded ANU review is silent on the most vital public health question on vaping

Federal ban on vape sales has failed catastrophically, stoking the black market for youth

Risks to youth must be acknowledged, but smokers should still have widespread access

The Government-funded study by Australian National University researchers released today makes important findings on the risks of vaping to young people but completely fails to address the most critical public health question – the risks of vaping relative to smoking cigarettes -- when it comes to informing regulatory policy, Legalise Vaping says.

“We didn’t need two and half years, millions of taxpayers-dollars and phone book style, padded out report to tell us that vaping e-liquid carries some level of harm to the body. Not a single person in the debate is denying that. Legalise Vaping Australia has never denied that,” campaign director Brian Marlow said.

“The question that the ANU have failed to address in their 367-page report, is the most pivotal one in the entire global debate on vaping. That is, is vaping less harmful than smoking?

“The answer to that question from all the contemporary research is clearly that vaping is much less harmful than smoking. Researchers and public health authorities around the world actively support it as a tobacco harm reduction tool.

“Research also repeatedly finds that vaping helps people to quit – and the ANU study tries to argue this is not the case.

“The Australian public health establishment, aided by an uncritical media that appears unwilling to do its own research, continues to be actively hostile to vaping even though it is a central plank in harm reduction approaches of advanced nations around the world and supported by leading anti-smoking campaigners.

“The Federal Government’s heavy-handed regulatory approach has exploded in their faces. Vaping has been driven underground and created a vast black market. The prescription-only model has failed to work and is in direct contrast to countries such as New Zealand, Europe and the United Kingdom that accept tobacco harm reduction and have proportionate regulation that encourages smokers to use vaping to quit smoking. Consequently, both countries have seen a rapid decline in smoking rates.

“Now we have a report which was commissioned by Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt, who betrayed Coalition voters and his party on this issue. The terms of reference were written by his office and his department was heavily involved in its oversight.

“Indeed, some of the summary findings, especially on whether vaping can be a successful quit tool, are in direct contradiction to findings of other studies, including one just published in a peer-reviewed journal by researchers at the University of Queensland, which found that smokers who vaped daily were 100% more likely to quit smoking in Australia.”

Mr Marlow said there are likely about a million people using vapes now in Australia but two million people smoking, and the country needs to have a cold, hard look at the trade-offs that a ban on vaping has created for public health.

“Political leaders and public health researchers should not need reminding that cigarettes are the leading cause of preventable death globally and in Australia,” Mr. Marlow said. “The ANU report focuses on the risks of vaping but is shamefully silent on the question of the risks relative to smoking.

“The debate has always been about harm reduction, in the undeniable knowledge that smoking is extremely bad for you and the quest for alternatives, in the knowledge that people will seek ways to consume nicotine, whether governments like it or not.”

“Until the medical establishment in Australia comes to the realisation that harm reduction is the only realistic pathway for smokers and vaping is a critical element of that, we are going to keep going around in circles.

“The logic is such, that if the ANU was charged with providing recommendations on road safety in Australia, the recommendation would be that adults should not drive cars and that we should all walk.”

“Restricting availability to under-18s is to take the same approach that has been taken with cigarettes: allow retailers to sell regulated products to adults on production of ID.”

Brian Marlow is available for interviews: 0439 138 826