AMA submission to the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee Inquiry into the Vaporised Nicotine Products Bill 2017
The AMA has provided a submission to the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee Inquiry into the Vaporised Nicotine Products Bill 2017.
The AMA believes the Vaporised Nicotine Products Bill 2017 is misguided and potentially very harmful. It is unfortunate that resources continue to be misused by a small number of Parliamentarians to pursue an ideological agenda that seeks to remove well established protections and undermine Australia’s world leading role in tobacco control. The AMA does not support any of the proposals contained in the Bill and would be overtly disappointed should they gain any real traction.
The safety and efficacy of e-cigarettes has not been established in the Australian context. It is widely known that the National Health and Medical Research Council has funded $6.5 million worth of research into e-cigarette use and efficacy which when released (progressively from 2018) should provide a much better indication of whether e-cigarettes are in fact a legitimate cessation option for the small number of remaining tobacco smokers. Should convincing evidence emerge in support of e-cigarettes as cessation aids, as well as the safety of the second hand exposure to e-cigarette vapour, it may be appropriate reconsider some of the proposals contained within the Bill.
