Switching from a failed vape and tobacco policy to a successful one
Australia’s health policy in relation to vapes is in disarray. Yet this deeply flawed approach is currently supported by all state, federal and territory governments.
Vaping nicotine was developed in 2003 by a Chinese chemist Hon Lik – a heavy smoker who was desperate to find an effective way to quit smoking after his father died from lung cancer.
Vaping was marketed in 2007 and within a few years it became increasingly popular, especially in America and the United Kingdom.
In Australia, the availability of vapes has been severely restricted, first in 2013 by requiring a doctor’s prescription, and then from October 2024, requiring legal vapes to be purchased from pharmacies.
In contrast, high-risk cigarettes continue to be readily available from over 40,000 outlets throughout Australia.
Low-risk smoke-free options for smokers are much less accessible than high-risk combustible cigarettes. Moreover, in Australia the supply of vapes and cigarettes has been dominated by a black market that has become increasingly violent.
While vaping among young people is certainly not ideal, a number of prestigious scientific organisations, including the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities in the UK Department of Health and Social Care; the Royal College of Physicians in London; and Cancer Research UK have concluded that vaping nicotine is far less risky than smoking.
The aim of Australia’s public health policies should be to minimise smoking-related deaths and disease as fast as possible, by stopping young people from starting to smoke and helping smokers to quit smoking or switch to one or more of the four low-risk........
© Pearls and Irritations
