Category: Australia

“This latest government document on vaping makes outrageously false claims and will only cost more Australian smokers their lives,” says Nancy Loucas, Executive Co-ordinator of CAPHRA (Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates).

Her comments follow the release of the 2022 CEO Statement on Electronic Cigarettes by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).

“Ridiculously, Australia’s Chief Medical Officer considers vaping the next biggest health issue after COVID-19. Has he ever heard of smoking which kills over 20,000 Australians every year? This 18-page document is a complete joke. It is full of statements that can be easily debunked by international science and human evidence the world over,” says Ms Loucas.

The NHMRC statement includes false claims that vaping is not an effective quit-smoking tool, but a gateway to smoking with most vapers becoming dual users. Vaping, it says, also increases the risk of smoking relapse. Health impacts, poisoning and explosion risks are heavily exaggerated, while references to toxins and potential harms are made without a fair comparison to smoking.

“We held huge hope that the new Labor Government might take a more progressive approach to safer nicotine products. The previous Liberal Government spent nearly a decade making it harder for Australian smokers to quit by effectively banning the best smoking cessation tool. Sadly, it appears nothing is going to change, meaning Australia’s stubborn smoking rate won’t be budging anytime soon,” says Ms Loucas.

CAPHRA says Australia’s hard-line anti-vaping approach is increasing out of step with other Asia Pacific countries, with the Philippines, Malaysia and Thailand set to lift their failed vaping bans. What’s more, New Zealand, across the Tasman, is already operating under a regulatory framework that has seen smoking rates decline.

“If Australia’s Minister of Health, Mark Butler, is serious about reducing Australia’s overall smoking rate to below 10%, he needs to talk with New Zealand’s Minister of Health, Andrew Little, who’s on track to reach smokefree – which is 5% or less smoking. Without adopting a Tobacco Harm Reduction(THR) approach, as New Zealand has, Australia does not have a hope in hell at even getting close to smokefree,” she says.

It is illegal to sell, supply or possess nicotine vaping products, with Australia the only Western democracy that requires a nicotine prescription to vape. Alarmingly, 2.3 million Australians continue to smoke deadly cigarettes.

Last year Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) expanded its prescription-only model with customs clamping down at the border on the likes of personal imports of nicotine vaping liquids from overseas websites.

CAPHRA says that nearly 70 countries have adopted regulatory frameworks on safer nicotine products, with all reporting dramatic declines in smoking prevalence. The regional THR advocacy group also notes that Public Health England stands resolutely behind the finding that vaping is 95% less harmful than smoking combustible cigarettes.

The NHMRC statement has been supported by chief health officers from all states and territories and is expected to inform future public health advice and policy decisions.

“This egregious document is not worth the paper it’s written on, yet it’s now the bible for public health guidance in and around Australia. Yes, it remains the lucky country but only if you’re not trying to give up smoking. For those desperate to kick the cancer sticks, their luck’s nearly completely run out,”says Nancy Loucas. 

“We are hopeful the nearly decade long Liberal-led Government’s open warfare on safer nicotine products will end under Australia’s new Labor-led Government,” says Nancy Loucas, Executive Co-ordinator of CAPHRA (Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates).

“Former Health Minister Greg Hunt and his Cabinet colleagues oversaw a failed ‘quit or die’ approach on tobacco control. Subsequently, Australia’s overall smoking rate has budged little while comparative countries have enjoyed considerable success. To save thousands of Australian lives every year, the new government must urgently adopt a totally different strategy,” says Ms Loucas.

CAPHRA says Australia’s hard-line anti-vaping approach is increasing out of step with other Asia Pacific countries. A priority for the new government and next Health Minister must be to support a Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) approach, including the regulated availability of safer alternatives for smokers.

It is illegal to sell, supply or possess nicotine vaping products, with Australia the only Western democracy that requires a nicotine prescription to vape.

Last October, Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) expanded its prescription-only model with customs clamping down at the border on the likes of personal imports of nicotine vaping liquids from overseas websites.

Since then, official information has revealed nearly 70,000 vaping products have been seized by the TGA under the Customs Act, with thousands of products also seized under warrant and by state governments. Millions of dollars’ worth of fines have also been issued to Australians, as well as thousands of formal warnings.

“Precious federal and state resource needs to be urgently redirected to catching bad people, not stinging good Australians just trying to quit smoking. The health authorities claim they’re cracking down on ‘dangerous products’ yet vaping is scientifically deemed 95% less harmful than cigarettes which remain freely available on many street corners,” says Ms Loucas

While vaping is now commonly viewed as the world’s most effective smoking cessation tool, Australia continues to witness over 20,000 smokers dying prematurely from smoking-related illnesses, with 2.3 million Australian’s still smoking.

Australian THR expert Dr Colin Mendelsohn recently described last decade’s national smoking strategy as an ‘embarrassing failure’. A target of 10% adult daily smoking was set for 2018, but only 13.8% was achieved. He believes without vaping readily accessible to adult smokers, Australia’s 10% target will be missed again.

To make matters worse, the Department of Health’s Draft National Smoking Strategy 2022 – 2030 proposes additional measures to prevent smokers from switching to safer nicotine products.

CAPHRA says despite ongoing claims in Australia that vaping is an on-ramp to smoking, the opposite is happening in New Zealand, where statistics categorically prove vaping is an off-ramp to smoking. CAPHRA also points out that despite ongoing scaremongering about nicotine, it’s addictive but not deadly – unlike the poisons from combustible cigarettes.

New Zealand has adopted a relatively progressive THR approach with vaping products available only to adults in convenience and specialist retail shops.

“Australia’s new Labor Government needs to talk to New Zealand’s Labour Government as New Zealand’s overall daily smoking rate has nearly halved in the past decade. It’s now in single figures, with New Zealand set to achieve Smokefree 2025 where just 5% or less smoke,” she says.

CAPHRA notes that nearly 70 countries have adopted regulatory frameworks on safer nicotine products. All of them have since reported a dramatic decline in smoking prevalence.

The Philippines, Malaysia and Thailand are poised to lift their failed vaping bans, which will see Australia lag further in the Asia Pacific region when it comes to adopting tobacco control policies that work.

“Here’s an opportunity for the new Australian Government to save lives thousands of lives in its first term of office alone by simply following best practice and growing international evidence,” says Nancy Loucas.

Australian politicians who recognize the public health potential of vaping will be rewarded with votes, yet most remain too scared to promote the world’s most effective smoking cessation tool, says the Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA).  

“Australia’s political leaders need to pull their heads out of the sand. Annually over 20,000 Australian smokers die prematurely from smoking-related illnesses and 2.3 million still smoke. Alarmingly, however, nobody wants to seriously fix successive governments’ failure to reduce tobacco harm,” says Nancy Loucas, Executive Co-ordinator of CAPHRA.

CAPHRA’s comments come as campaigning ramps up ahead of Australia’s federal election on 21 May.

Australia is the only Western democracy that requires a nicotine prescription to vape. Further, its Department of Health’s Draft National Smoking Strategy 2022 – 2030 proposes additional measures to prevent smokers from switching to safer nicotine products.

“Hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of Australians support a Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) approach and the regulated availability of safer alternatives. We’re now calling on voters to confront and quiz campaigning Australian MPs as to why they continue to support such a failed ‘quit or die’ approach on tobacco control,” says Ms Loucas.

CAPHRA says adding to politicians’ reluctance is the fact that many in the Australian media continue to perpetuate myths about the country’s smoking success and risks around vaping. 

One leading morning paper last month declared that ‘Australia is the envy of the world when it comes to our success at cutting smoking rates’. Joining a chorus, it called for the federal government to ‘redouble its efforts to crack down on vaping, before it becomes endemic among our young people and entices them towards tobacco.’

“As neighbouring and more progressive New Zealand has proven, vaping is an off-ramp to smoking, not an on-ramp. New Zealand is on target to reach Smokefree 2025 where 5% or less smoke. In stark contrast, Australia is miles off, simply because deadly cigarettes remain easier to obtain than proven alternatives deemed 95% less harmful,” says Ms Loucas.

Australian THR expert Dr Colin Mendelsohn describes last decade’s national smoking strategy as an ‘embarrassing failure’. A target of 10% adult daily smoking was set for 2018, but only 13.8% was achieved. He believes without vaping readily accessible to adult smokers, Australia’s 10% target will be missed again.

“In the past a few Liberal MPs voiced a pro-vaping position and Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce was publicly supportive, so we held some hope for positive change. Australia, however, continues to lag further behind most Asia Pacific countries when it comes to adopting tobacco control policies that work,” she says.

Last year Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) expanded its prescription-only model with customs clamping down at the border on the likes of personal imports of nicotine vaping liquids from overseas websites.

Ms Loucas says also helping to bury the vape debate this election is the attraction of tobacco tax. In fact, ongoing increases to tobacco excise have made it the fourth largest individual tax collected by Australia’s federal government at an estimated $15 billion per financial year.

CAPHRA notes that nearly 70 countries have adopted regulatory frameworks on safer nicotine products. All of them have reported a dramatic decline in smoking prevalence since.

“Australia is light years behind the US, UK, and New Zealand, with some key Asian countries now looking to lift their failed vaping bans. If campaigning Australian politicians really want to save lives this election, well here is their best opportunity by simply a stroke of the pen,” says Nancy Loucas. 

Australia is lagging well behind many other countries in the Asia Pacific region when it comes to successfully tackling smoking through vaping, says the Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA).

CAPHRA’s observation comes as Australia’s Department of Health seeks feedback on its Draft National Smoking Strategy 2022 – 2030, with public submissions closing on 24 March.

“We encourage vapers and supporters of a progressive Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) approach to have their say. Australians desperate to quit smoking and those keen to stay off deadly cigarettes need all the help they can get,” says Nancy Loucas, Executive Co-ordinator of CAPHRA.

On 1 October 2021, Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) expanded its prescription-only model with customs clamping down at the border on the likes of personal imports of nicotine vaping liquids from overseas websites. Dubbed ‘Black Friday’ by CAPHRA, the day marked cigarettes becoming much easier to obtain in Australia than safer nicotine products.

Ms Loucas says not only is the successful role safer nicotine products can play completely absent in Australia’s draft strategy, it lacks ambition. The strategy proposes achieving a 10% or less overall smoking rate by 2025, while New Zealand is driving a 5% smokefree goal and looks on target to achieve it.

“Instead of banning vaping, New Zealand has regulated it, making it tough for minors to access but available to all adults keen to keep off the cancer sticks. New Zealand is seeing its overall smoking rate tumble, yet the Australian Government fails to accept that the most effective smoking cessation tool available is staring it in the face,” she says.

Australia’s failed ‘quit or die’ approach towards tobacco continues to see over 20,000 smokers die prematurely from smoking-related illnesses, with 2.3 million still smoking. CAPHRA says the Philippines is set to regulate safer nicotine products, with even Malaysia and Thailand now looking to lift their unsuccessful vaping bans.

“Australia is well down the world rankings when it comes to adopting effective THR policies and is light years behind the US and UK. Subsequently, Australia’s overall smoking rate has fallen very little over the past decade, and without reasonable access to vaping Australia will struggle to even achieve its 10% smoking goal,” says Nancy Loucas.

CAPHRA believes as part of its new strategy, Australia’s Department of Health should closely investigate the 67 countries which have adopted regulatory frameworks on safer nicotine products, registering a dramatic decline in smoking prevalence since.

To make a submission on Australia’s Draft National Smoking Strategy before 24 March, visit: https://consultations.health.gov.au/atodb/national-tobacco-strategy-2022-2030/

Broadcast live at 7.00pm Hong Kong Time on 13 March, The Advocates Voice (TAV) will discuss ‘Australia – Is there hope that the current ‘quit or die’ approach to vaping is on the way out?’ To hear the views of key Asia Pacific THR advocates visit: https://youtu.be/HnuApgneKPI

A global collaboration of THR consumer groups, sCOPe, has launched a comprehensive library of online panel discussions and presentations. In November 2021, sCOPe broadcast around the clock during COP9 – the 9th Conference of Parties for the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). To access sCOPe’s online library visit, https://bit.ly/319zzkx

Boasting over 14,000 testimonials, CAPHRA is calling on those who’ve quit cigarettes through smoke-free nicotine alternatives to tell their story onwww.righttovape.org

For a free digital media repository on tobacco harm reduction in Asia Pacific – including media releases, images and graphics – please visithttps://apthrmedia.org

“Friday, 1 October marks the day deadly cigarettes become a lot easier to obtain in Australia than safer nicotine vaping products,” says Nancy Loucas, Executive Coordinator of the Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA).

Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has expanded its prescription-only model with customs to clampdown at the border. This means no more personal importation of nicotine vaping liquids, via overseas websites, without a doctor’s prescription.

“It’s worse than medicalisation as very few doctors are registered with the TGA to prescribe. Australia’s 500,000 vapers are now expected to hunt down a willing doctor for a medical assessment and prescription. Many, undoubtedly, will return to the easier option of grabbing a packet of cigarettes. It’s sadly another dark day for Australia,” she says.

By further limiting access to safer nicotine products for its 2.3 million daily smokers, Australia has effectively joined a sad club of countries, including Thailand, India, and soon Hong Kong, which have banned vaping.

“Australia is now well down the world rankings when it comes to adopting effective Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) policies. It’s miles behand progressive countries like New Zealand, the United Kingdom, France, the Philippines, and even the United States and Canada. These counties openly acknowledge vaping’s key role in beating tobacco,” she says.

Ms Loucas says it makes no sense to effectively ban products that are 95% less harmful than cigarettes, when Australian smokers can buy a pack of cigarettes from any service station, supermarket or corner store on a whim. She predicts the move will only expand the already huge black market for nicotine vape liquids.

“The Lucky Country is not following international science or THR best practice. Instead, Australia is kowtowing to the poisoned advice of the World Health Organization (WHO). By condemning safer alternatives and ignoring mounting evidence, the WHO is doing its best to deny the world’s 1.1 billion smokers a safe escape,” says Ms Loucas.

CAPHRA notes that smoking rates have significantly fallen in countries supportive of vaping. In contrast, Australian smoking rates have almost flatlined since 2013, despite aggressive tobacco control policies.

Ongoing increases to tobacco excise have made it the fourth largest individual tax collected by Australia’s federal government at an estimated $15 billion last financial year.

“You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to see that blocking tobacco’s main rival will only help lift tobacco excise revenue for the Australian government,” she says.

CAPHRA says international evidence also discredits Australian Health Minister Greg Hunt’s claims that the ban will seek ‘to avoid an onramp for non-smokers, especially youth’. Yet the complete opposite happens: Vaping is no gateway to youth smoking, but a leading offramp for adult smokers.

Last year, Australia’s closest cousin, New Zealand, legalised and regulated vaping. Its overall smoking rate has fallen to a record low 12%. The country’s District Health Boards and Māori health vape-to-quit smoking programmes continue to achieve record results.

In contrast, Australia’s Senate Inquiry into Tobacco Harm Reduction last year heard from public health experts, tobacco treatment specialists and frontline health workers. They told the inquiry that a prescription-only model would never work and only drive vapers back to smoking. In the end, their evidence and experiences were completely ignored.

CAPHRA says startling research confirms Australia has sadly fallen into the hands of greed. It’s now clear American billionaires like Michael Bloomberg dictate not only the WHO’s health guidance, but Australia’s health policies.

In fact, over the past decade anti-tobacco billionaire foundations have funnelled millions into Asia Pacific NGOs to lobby governments to ban vaping and discredit vaping advocates.

To view the full findings and money trails, visit: https://www.24shareupdates.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Clarisse-Virgino-Research-with-IRS-returns-98.pdf

Now live and boasting over 14,000 testimonials, CAPHRA is calling on those who’ve quit cigarettes through smoke-free nicotine alternatives to tell their story on www.righttovape.org

Consumer groups in the Asia Pacific region have also launched a petition at change.org/v4v-petition that urges the WHO to respect consumer rights and to stop demonizing Tobacco Harm Reduction options ahead of November’s meeting of the WHO FCTC.

For a free digital media repository on tobacco harm reduction in Asia Pacific – including media releases, images and graphics – please visithttps://apthrmedia.org

In the competitive world of smoking, Australia is a place where there are some fantastic vape shops.
In fact, there’s no better time to be an Australian smoker as new technology and vaping methods have improved by leaps and bounds in recent years. There are now many different types of vaporizers on the market that cater to all tastes and budgets. And with more smokers choosing to vape over cigarettes, it’s become easier for those who want to quit smoking altogether too!
Vape Shops Are Popping Up Everywhere!
Although these numbers may seem high, they’re not all that surprising considering how many Aussies smoke and the rise of vaping as a safer alternative for quitting smoking. The Australian government is currently investing $16.56 million to fund vaping research, which should be completed in the next five years. After many decades of smoking cigarettes and cigars, vape shops are popping up everywhere that offer e-liquids with different flavors or nicotine strengths for customers who want to quit smoking traditional tobacco products. With the help of vaping, the government hopes to have a less supportive society for smokers and encourage people who smoke cigars or cigarettes to switch to vaping. If you are thinking about quitting smoking cigarettes or cigars, make sure to visit a vape shop in your area where staff members can answer any questions that you may have!
These stores offer many different types of vaping products and e-liquids with different nicotine strengths, as well as delicious e-juices that are sure to meet your needs. Many vape shops also offer online sales like ECigOz where you can purchase vaping products and accessories without having to leave the comfort of your own home! When it comes time to quit smoking, there is no better alternative than quitting completely or switching to vaping to help you quit tobacco products for good.
Vaping vs. Smoking
The Australian government is also working hard to make sure that vaping remains a safer alternative for those who want to quit smoking cigarettes or cigars by making it illegal for anyone under the age of 18 years old from purchasing e-liquids, as well as implementing an indoor vaping ban in public places and outdoor venues such as sporting events, shopping malls, and public transportation.
By keeping vaping out of the hands of minors, also helps to keep smoking rates in Australia at a lower number than they might otherwise be if teenagers were vaping instead. Vaping has become popular with many Australians who want to quit smoking because e-liquids contain nicotine that is addictive but less harmful than tobacco products, and they offer a more socially acceptable alternative.
Vape E-Juice Flavors
Not all vape shops offer the same types of e-liquids with varying nicotine strengths, so make sure to check out your local vape store or do some research online before you purchase any vaping products. There are many different flavors available for those who want to quit smoking cigarettes and cigars including tobacco blends, menthol, coffee, and even fruit or dessert e-liquids!
If you’re not sure where to start when it comes to quitting smoking cigarettes or cigars for good, bring a friend who has already made the switch from tobacco products to vaping with you so that they can help answer any questions about their experience. With hundreds of vape shops popping up all over the country, there is no better time to quit smoking than now!
What’s In Vape Juice?
Many people who are thinking about quitting smoking may be wondering, “What is in vape juice?” or “What does vaping do to your body?”. Most e-liquids contain propylene glycol and/or vegetable glycerin which carry the flavorings and nicotine with them as they are heated by an atomizer. An e-liquid cartridge is typically comprised of these two ingredients, as well as flavoring and nicotine, depending on the type that you buy.
Propylene glycol or vegetable glycerin are FDA-approved food additives that carry flavorings through an atomizer to produce vapor when heated by a vaping device’s battery. Nicotine can also be found in vape juice cartridges depending on the blend, but this is optional for those who don’t want to use any.
Starter Kits
When you’re ready to quit smoking, make sure that your first purchase is an e-cigarette starter kit. These kits include everything that you need such as a vaping device and different types of cartridges with varying nicotine strengths. Starter kits come in many styles including vape pens or more advanced devices which can be charged through USB ports on laptops and other electronic devices.
Every vaping device requires e-liquid cartridges, which you can purchase at vape shops and online retailers as well. Try out different vaping products and e-liquids with varying nicotine strengths to find the one that is right for you!
Nicotine Strengths
A common misconception about vaping is that it will help you to quit smoking cigars, cigarettes, and other tobacco products by offering a way to gradually decrease your nicotine intake until you are no longer addicted. This might work for some people but there are many others who cannot go long without the effects of nicotine due to their body’s dependence on it.
Another benefit to vaping is that it allows you to slowly decrease the amount of nicotine in your e-liquids until you no longer need them or are ready to quit completely! For those who have tried everything else, this may be the best way for smokers and non-smokers alike to finally kick their tobacco habit once and for all.
It Might Lead To A Dependency
No one knows exactly how many people are addicted to vaping, but according to the CDC’s National Center on Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, there were around 20.05 million adult vapers in 2016. On top of that, they estimate that over 500 thousand kids vape each month as well. A lot of young adults choose electronic cigarettes and vape pens as a way to start smoking. It’s safe to say that vaping is addictive for some users, but it’s also important not to blame the substance itself – it’s more about how we use substances than what we actually put in our bodies. Nicotine addiction often has its roots in mental health problems, so learning how to recognize the signs of vape addiction can help us prevent it in others.
Additionally, vaping is meant for adults over 18 years old who are trying to quit smoking cigarettes, not teens or young kids looking for a way to experiment with nicotine. It’s important that we set boundaries on when and where vaping is allowed as well as who can vape and how it’s done.

In the end, vaping is a safer alternative that can be used by adults and teenagers alike who want to stop smoking cigarettes or cigars while keeping themselves healthier in the process!

After a misstep, it’s about to become illegal to import e-cigarettes without a prescription, which means that, for most Australians, it’ll become all but impossible to vape from October 1.

The misstep tells us a lot about how the Australian government works behind the scenes — most of it good.

Mid last year, Health Minister Greg Hunt announced plans to ban the import of nicotine-containing e-cigarettes and refills without a doctor’s prescription. Border Force would be checking parcels.

To Hunt, the decision made sense. It was already illegal to buy and sell such products without a prescription in every Australian state and territory, and it was illegal to possess them without a prescription in every state but South Australia.

All Hunt was doing was closing a (very wide) loophole.

Government backbenchers revolted, Hunt pointed to a doubling of nicotine poisonings over the past year and the death of a toddler, the Prime Minister offered less than complete support, saying he was keeping an “open mind”, and Hunt put the idea on the backburner.

That’s the way it played out in public.

But beneath the surface, something impressive was swinging into gear. It’s called the Office of Best Practice Regulation — OBPR, an apolitical body nestled within the prime minister’s department.

Canberra’s ‘homework police’

So what did this little-known part of the government do that will effectively stamp out vaping from next month? Its executive director, Jason Lange, revealed the back story at an Economic Society of Australia meeting in Canberra earlier this year.

Set up during the 1980s to ensure government decisions didn’t needlessly tie up business in red tape, the office gradually was given other things to consider, including the effect of government decisions on citizens, on the environment and on the distribution of burdens throughout society.

Then in 2013 Prime Minister Tony Abbott moved it out of the Department of Finance into his own department: Prime Minister and Cabinet.

Prime Minister and Cabinet is the traffic cop: it decides what gets put forward for cabinet to decide, and when. So suddenly the office was working at the centre of government decisions, getting to view every one of the 1,800 or so things put to senior ministers to decide each year.

Seven questions shaping new decisions

For the few hundred proposals it thinks might have significant unintended impacts, the office demands an impact statement.

It doesn’t tell the department or authority putting forward the idea what to put in the statement. But as Lange explained, it “marks the homework”. The proposals behind any statements that aren’t good enough are harder to bring to cabinet.

Hunt’s decision on e-cigarettes wasn’t accompanied by an impact statement the first time around. Lange’s office made sure it was on the second.

Each OBPR analysis has to address seven questions.

The first is what problem the agency is trying to solve. Maybe it’s not really a problem. Merely working that out puts what follows into focus.

The second is why government action is needed. Maybe the problem isn’t very big, or maybe it will solve itself.

The third is what options the agency is considering. The agency has to put forward at least three options, including one that isn’t a regulation. In the case of e-cigarettes, that option was a public awareness campaign.

Then it has to estimate the likely benefits and costs of each option, including the costs to people the option wasn’t intended to hit, such as under-the-counter retailers and people using vaping to give up smoking.

The fifth question is the range of people and organisations to be consulted (which is a way of making sure it happens). The sixth is to identify the best option from the list, which includes making no regulation whatsoever.

The seventh is the means by which the measure would be implemented and (importantly) later evaluated.

Grading government ideas, from ‘insufficient’ to ‘exemplary’

Once in, and usually after being sent back for further work, the analysis is graded on a scale from “insufficient” to “adequate” to “good practice” to “exemplary”.

Very few are graded exemplary, and very few that we know about are graded inadequate, because if such a proposal does get adopted by cabinet, the impact statement gets published along with the grade and a statement that describes its failings — a “nuclear option” Lange says can be deeply embarrassing.

All impact statements attached to proposals the government adopts get published along with its OBPR rating. It is often the best opportunity the public has to read about the thinking behind the proposal.

Tellingly, only about 80 of the hundreds of impact statements started each year get to decision makers, which means the process itself knocks out poorly thought out proposals.

But if an idea has merit, as did the ban on importing nicotine-containing e-cigarettes without a prescription, the 180-page impact statement can make all the difference.

It sets out the problem clearly, sets out a number of possible solutions and identifies the winners and losers from each, and shows how they were consulted.

It demonstrates someone in the government has thought it through clearly, and provides material for the government to use when selling its decision.

Vaping becomes harder on October 1

On the Office of Best Practice Regulation website are hundreds of impact analyses on topics as diverse as food standards, protection for car dealers, and the redress scheme for child sexual abuse.

That’s why from October 1 it will become illegal to import without a prescription nicotine-containing e-cigarettes, and illegal to supply any liquid nicotine that isn’t in child-resistant packaging.

Behind the scenes, the government got it right.

Peter Martin is visiting fellow at the Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University. This article originally appeared on The Conversation.

Asia Pacific’s leading Tobacco Harm Reduction consumer advocacy group has lashed out at the Australian Federal Government for making it increasingly harder for Australia’s 2.3 million daily smokers to quit cigarettes.

“Australia is miles behind many others in the Asia Pacific region, and the UK, when it comes to acknowledging vaping’s key role in beating tobacco. Australia is sadly kowtowing to the World Health Organisation, rather than accepting compelling international evidence,” says Nancy Loucas, Coordinator for the Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA).

It is illegal to sell liquid nicotine in Australia. Its states and territories possess harsh penalties including very steep fines, in some cases, possible imprisonment for the sale of nicotine vapes without a valid doctor’s prescription.

Many of Australia’s 500,000 vapers have instead been personally importing nicotine vaping liquids via overseas websites. However, that’s all about to change. From 1 October, Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) is expanding its prescription-only model with customs to clampdown at the border.

“It’s humiliating that all ex-smokers and those desperate to quit will need to seek a medical opinion and doctor’s prescription to access significantly less harmful nicotine vaping products in Australia. It makes no sense when the country’s smokers can buy a pack of cigarettes from any service station or supermarket on a whim,” says Ms Loucas.

What’s more, significant concerns remain over the number of doctors who will be prepared to prescribe, given there are currently no approved nicotine e-cigarettes on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG).

Doctors will either need to first apply to the TGA for access to the unapproved product or provide a script for three months or less for patients intending to access nicotine vape products through the Personal Importation Scheme.

CAPHRA says Australia and New Zealand’s trans-Tasman rivalry is world-famous but when it comes to Tobacco Harm Reduction policies, Australia is losing.

“New Zealand has legalised and regulated vaping. In contrast Australia is set to strangle smokers’ access the world’s most effective smoking cessation tool. Australia’s total medicalisation approach will cost thousands of lives over the coming decades and urgently needs to be called out at a regional level,” says Ms Loucas.

International evidence also discredits Australian Health Minister Greg Hunt’s claims that the ban will seek ‘to avoid an onramp for non-smokers, especially youth’. CAPHRA says, in reality, it’s the complete opposite – vaping is no gateway to youth smoking, but a leading offramp for adult smokers.

“New Zealand’s 2020 vaping legislation is not perfect. Nonetheless, if you’re over 18, nicotine vaping products are readily available there, with their Ministry of Health strongly supportive of vaping as an effective way to achieving smoke-free,” she says.

World-leading harm reduction expert and advocate, Dr Alex Wodak AM – a Director of the Australian Tobacco Harm Reduction Association (ATHRA) – agrees that it makes no sense to restrict the availability of vaping much more than deadly combustible cigarettes when vaping is a considerably safer option for nicotine.

“The decline in smoking rates has recently begun accelerating in countries supportive of vaping such as New Zealand, the UK, and the US. In contrast, Australian smoking rates have almost flatlined since 2013, despite aggressive tobacco control policies,” says Dr Wodak.

“Try walking through a big Australian city at lunchtime and you can’t help but inhale clouds of second-hand smoke and see office and retail workers puffing on cancer sticks. Having no real alternative is a tragic blemish on an otherwise beautiful country,” says Ms Loucas.

Australia’s Senate Inquiry into Tobacco Harm Reduction last year heard from public health experts, tobacco treatment specialists, and frontline health workers. They told the inquiry that a prescription-only model would never work and only drive vapers back to smoking. Their evidence and experiences were ignored.

CAPHRA says October’s ban will expand the already huge black market for nicotine vape liquids at a time when Australia should be leading the Asia Pacific with progressive health policies to reduce tobacco harm. The Philippines, instead, could soon be the region’s frontrunner with its Senate set to approve landmark risk-proportionate vaping legislation.

“We support pro-vaping Australian MPs, keen to see fewer deaths from smoking, including new Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce. These MPs are making sure the Government understands the dangerous consequences of its misguided policy. Effectively outlawing nicotine vaping will only drive ex-smokers back to cigarettes,” says Nancy Loucas.

Join the next Asia Harm Reduction Forum on 28 June: https://fb.watch/6gH6Yo51y9/

Consumer groups in the Asia-Pacific region have also launched a petition at change.org/v4v-petition that urges the World Health Organisation (WHO) to respect consumer rights and to stop demonizing Tobacco Harm Reduction options ahead of the next biennial meeting of the WHO Framework Convention of Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) in November.

Australia will level up the difficulty to purchase vapes from China in October 2021. According to news from December 2020, Australians will need a doctor’s prescription to import liquid nicotine from October 2021 under changes expected to affect hundreds of thousands of vapers.

If you’re located in Australia, you’d better stock up enough vapes before the date, in case it gets too hard importing vapes after October 2021.

Key points

• A prescription will also be required to access nicotine e-cigarettes from October 2021

• Child-resistant closures for liquid nicotine will also be mandatory

• The Federal Health Minister says the decision will help to prevent teenagers who were unlikely to take up smoking from turning to vaping instead

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has decided that from October 1, 2021 a prescription will also be required to access nicotine e-cigarettes, while child-resistant closures for liquid nicotine will be mandatory.

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said the decision would help to prevent teenagers who were unlikely to take up smoking from turning to vaping instead, as well as clarifying the law for people who imported vaping products.

“Nicotine containing e-cigarettes are currently illegal to sell in every state and territory and possession in all jurisdictions (except South Australia) is also illegal without a valid medical prescription,” he said.

“That means that there is a current situation that legally imported materials are then illegally possessed under state law.

“This decision will both reduce the risk of an onramp for teenagers… while rectifying the issue of legal importation but illegal possession.”

Changes resisted by vapers

According to the latest national drugs survey, more than 500,000 Australians are vapers and 2.4 million people have tried it at some point.

Some people who vape have credited it with helping them to quit smoking, and previously warned forcing users to get a doctor’s prescription could encourage them to return to regular cigarettes instead.

They have also expressed concerns that only 14 doctors across the country are currently registered to prescribe liquid nicotine.

Mr Hunt said more doctors could register with the TGA to become an “authorised prescriber”.

“It is important to note that any doctor may currently prescribe nicotine-containing e-cigarettes that can be used by consumers for personal importation,” he said.

“This is not widely understood, and it is an important matter of public information that over 30,000 GPs may currently, and in the future, prescribe nicotine-based e-cigarettes for smoking cessation.”

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