Vaping law changes imminent

A new study published in the Medical Journal of Australia this week provides the most comprehensive review yet on the health impacts of e-cigarettes, leaving no room for confusion about the dangers of e-cigarettes and vaping.

Professor Steve Robson told 9 News the study provided further evidence of the need for stronger, strictly enforced regulations to avoid another public health crisis like tobacco.

“Australian governments need to act now to enforce existing laws and clamp down on illegal non-prescription sale of e-cigarettes, as well as strengthen controls on the importation of all – nicotine and non-nicotine – vaping products,” Professor Robson told the Guardian.

He also told The Australian the government needs to crack down on the black market in vaping products.

SBS World News also reported the study found conclusive evidence that vaping causes addiction, poisoning in small children, seizures and loss of consciousness, headache, cough and throat irritation and burns caused by exploding batteries. 

Professor Robson stated the next generation of Australian children needed to be protected from the harms from vaping.   

In its submission to a TGA consultation on vaping that closed earlier this year, the AMA called for the personal importation scheme to be scrapped. The submission also called for stronger controls on all vaping products through customs, and proposed reducing the nicotine concentration limit in e-liquids from 100mg/ml to 20mg/ml as well as new limits on the flavours and volume of nicotine that can be prescribed or ordered.  

“We would also like to see the government work with state and territory governments to add NVPs to real time prescription monitoring programs and the MBS telehealth smoking cessation items amended so only a patient’s usual doctor can prescribe NVPs to help people stop smoking,” Professor Robson said.