Australians want government action on vapes

NEW data reveals nine in ten Australians want government action to stop Australia’s escalating e-cigarette crisis.

Anew Cancer Council Victoria report shows growing public support for policy action to limit the availabilityand use of e-cigarettes. Almost nine in ten Australian adults (87 per cent) want government action to stop anew generation of Australians from becoming addicted to nicotine. Other statistics from the report include Australian adults’ agreement with the following statements:

 E-cigarettes should be carefully regulated to stop anew generation of Australians from becoming addicted to nicotine (87 per cent).

 E-cigarettes are highly addictive (81 per cent).

The report was prepared by the Cancer Council Victoria’sCentre for Behavioural Researchin Cancer (CBRC) with data for collected through the Social Research Centre’s probability based-panel, Life in Australia.

The new data comes just weeks after the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) received publicsubmissions on proposed reforms to the regulation of nicotine vaping products, urging immediate action on nicotine vaping products.

In these submissions, Cancer Council Victoria and Quit called for strictborder controls on the importation of all vaping products, to support enforcement by Victorian agencies and stop illegal sales.

“We need to improve regulation and the enforcement of vaping products to protect Australiansfrom the many immediate and futurehealthimpactsof vaping. The laws thatare in place are insufficient and theyare being blatantlydisregarded”, said the director of Quit, Matthew Scanlon.

The 2022 Victorian Smokingand Health Survey showedthat 77,200 Victorianswho had previously neversmokedhad used e-cigarettesinthe past year,tripling their risk of smoking uptake. The vaping epidemicthreatens to undo five decades of world-leading tobacco control in Victoria.

Quit is jointly funded by Department of Health and VicHealth, as aprogram of Cancer Council Victoria.VicHealth chief executive,DrSandro Demaio, has joined public health experts calling for action.