Plans to regulate and tax vapes will put the health of Australians at risk

Cancer Council opposes the proposed introduction of a tax on vaping products and retail model in Australia, reinforcing that the only legal place to sell vapes must continue to be pharmacies.

The plan, announced by the Coalition yesterday, undermines the current laws in place which protect Australians, particularly young people, from the harms of nicotine and vaping.

Alecia Brooks, Chair of Cancer Council’s Tobacco Issues Committee says we have an obligation as a society to stop the tobacco industry from profiting from inherently harmful products, and to ensure that access to these products is for smoking cessation only.

“The proposed plan is flawed, by allowing retailers to sell these products, access of vapes to young people will increase, ultimately resulting in new and future generations of vaping and nicotine addicts,” says Brooks.

“Evidence from the Generation Vape research collaboration shows that young people who try vapes are five times as likely to take up smoking as those who have never vaped. Under this proposed plan, we will see enormous health harm to current and future generations of Australian kids – and this is truly unacceptable.”

“Australia’s pharmaceutical model is world leading and supports the 1 in 2 18–24-year-old vapers who are actively trying to quit,” says Brooks. “The current laws are supported by almost all parents and teachers across Australia, with 90% supporting or unopposed to the pharmacy model.”

Rachael Andersen, Director of Quit says that any plan to return vapes into retail settings sends entirely the wrong message, especially to young people.

“Vaping among people that have never smoked can cause nicotine toxicity, exacerbate mood disorders and cause lung damage.

“Selling vapes in retail settings would undermine public health progress on many levels. And it risks undermining Australians ability to stay quit from nicotine products” Andersen said.

Alecia Brooks concluded that significant progress would be unwound by Coalition’s plans.

“We have seen early positive signs that the current vaping laws across the country are protecting Australian’s health. We’ve seen decreases in vaping rates, declines in vape purchases, greater awareness of vaping harms and vaping becoming less socially acceptable among teenagers.”

“Cancer Council urges all political parties to reject this proposal and continue to support the current model that puts the health of Australians first”.