Vaping reforms a breath of fresh air

AMA President Professor Steve Robson said the new measures would help deter more wide-spread uptake of vaping and smoking.

“Vaping has become a critical public health issue so we are very pleased with the decision to ban all vapes, including recreational vapes, outside of them being prescribed by a doctor as part of a safe and reliable strategy to help people stop smoking,” Professor Robson said.

“Banning the retail sale of vapes will help to prevent our children and younger people taking up vaping and developing a nicotine addiction.

“There is a growing list of health harms posed by vaping while there is insufficient evidence vapes are a safe, effective smoking cessation tool.

“The pharmaceutical packaging, ban on flavours and colours and reduced nicotine concentration for vaping products are bold measures and essential to this reform, placing Australia in a world-leading position when it comes to keeping vapes out of community,” Professor Robson said.

“Enforcing the new rules and cracking down on the black market will be key to their effectiveness. Governments and enforcement agencies at every level, across jurisdictions will need to be vigilant and work in concert.

“The AMA also supports an end goal of vapes being registered by the Therapeutic Goods Administration to ensure they are adequately assessed for safety, quality, and efficacy. This would provide doctors with the assurance that these products are as safe as they can be for patients who require them as a last resort smoking cessation method.”

The AMA particularly welcomed a reduction in nicotine levels in nicotine vaping products, which it sought in its submission to a Therapeutic Goods Administration consultation on vaping earlier this year.

The AMA also welcomes the increase on the tobacco tax, funding for lung cancer screening, a public campaign to raise awareness of vaping and smoking harms, quit programs, training and education, and more funding for the critical Tackling Indigenous Smoking program.