Time to listen to experts to drive down smoking rates
New data released by Victoria University health policy think tank, the Mitchell Institute once again confirms that governments at all levels are failing in their efforts to tackle smoking rates.
Legalise Vaping Australia, Campaign Director, Brian Marlow said that that when it comes to getting people off cigarettes, Governments should listen to the advice from Australian doctor’s groups who now advocate for smoke-free vaping products playing a role in getting Australians off cigarettes.
“The Mitchell Institute report endorses what the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has long been saying, that smoking rate reductions are stagnating, and that people in small states and regional areas have much higher smoking rates than their city cousins,’ Mr Marlow said.
“For example, the Mitchell Institute found that in Bridgewater and Gagebrook Tasmania, two of the poorest areas in the Australia, that more than one in every three adults smoke. This alarming statistic is in contrast to affluent places like Canberra where the smoking rate is closer to one in ten adults.
“This shameful finding once again exposes the failure of existing policies and shows new thinking, including legalising and properly regulating smoke-free vaping products is required to help some of Australia’s most disadvantaged people.”
In contrast to the overly simplistic ‘quit or die’ approach progressed by Government to date, pre-eminent doctor’s groups, including the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP), representing 25,000 specialists including cardiologists, respiratory physicians, and gastroenterologists now advocate for the use of vaping as a method to get smokers off cigarettes.
In April 2020 stated, RACP representative Professor Chris Bullen stated, “our position is that vaping is not for non-smokers but it is something that should be available for smokers who are keen to improve their health and move away from cigarette smoking.”
“The advice from the RACP follows the acknowledgement by two other key Australian medical Colleges, the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) and the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) that for existing smokers the use of e-cigarettes provides better alternative than continuing to smoke cigarettes,” Mr Marlow said.
“The stark reality is that that even with unprecedented tobacco control measures in Australia existing Government policies to reduce smoking rates are no longer working. In contrast, since smoke-free alternatives have been available in overseas markets, cigarette sales have declined rapidly, including in Japan.
“In order to kick-start a new wave of smoking rate reductions and ensure that all smokers have access to better health outcomes, there is the urgent need for all levels of Government to act to legalise and properly regulate vaping products in this country.”