The Australian Council on Smoking and Health is urging politicians to heed the advice of public health experts across the country in response to the current tsunami of big tobacco funded pro-vaping campaigns.
The warning comes as the Federal Government introduces new legislation to end retail sale of vapes, prevent domestic manufacture, commercial possession, and advertising, and ensure vapes are available only via prescription, removing easy access for children and young people.
ACOSH co-chief executive Laura Hunter said it was important to call out the confusion that is being generated by pro-vaping campaigns like Bust the Black Market and affiliated groups – including Legalise Vaping Australia and Australian Association of Convenience Stores.
“We want Big Tobacco to butt out of children’s health and leave it to public health experts who have no vested interest,” she said.
“Research shows us that vaping among children has increased five-fold since 2019 and quadrupled among young adults. One in three young people who vape say they can’t stop or cut down and that’s exactly what Big Tobacco wants.
“These organisations are reciting a script written by Big Tobacco, commissioning misleading surveys, putting out fake testimonials and making downright dangerous demands for vapes to be treated ‘just like cigarettes.’
“Why should we listen to their advice over that of medical experts and young people so desperate to quit they are publicly warning others not to get hooked like they have… We need politicians to see the vaping epidemic for what it is – another casualty of the tobacco industry’s long-standing agenda to increase profits by driving nicotine dependency.”
GPs have also thrown their support behind the Government’s vaping crackdown, noting that under the reforms, people will be able to obtain a prescription for nicotine vapes from their GP for therapeutic purposes as a second-line smoking cessation measure.
RACGP President Dr Nicole Higgins urged all MPs to back the bill and said that GPs have a vital role to play.
“All GPs can now prescribe nicotine vaping products for smoking cessation,” she said.
“Our role is crucial, and although we do have a big job ahead of us prescribing nicotine vapes for patients who need them, I’m confident that with the right kind of support we can continue helping patients from all walks of life wean themselves off nicotine.
“We are already experienced in helping people quit nicotine, including behavioural support, managing withdrawal symptoms and cravings, taking advantage of nicotine replacement therapy options, as well as medicines including varenicline or bupropion, which can block the pleasurable effects of nicotine and make quitting that much easier.”
She warned that vaping was not a harmless alternative to smoking cigarettes.
“Vaping is taking hold of more and more people, and the health dangers are significant. No one can be 100% sure of the long-term impacts so you are playing with fire, and we do know they contain chemicals that cause serious respiratory issues and lung damage,” she said.
“It’s been reported that some teenagers are learning they have the lungs of a 70-year-old and that the damage may be permanent.”
“We must do everything we can to stop a new generation of nicotine users emerging because once young people start vaping, they will have a lot of trouble stopping. Many young people are shocked to find how severe the withdrawal effects can be when they try to quit. It can be a very confronting experience including anxiety and trouble eating and sleeping.”