VICDOC Summer 2023 - Magazine - Page 81
F E D E RA L A M A
Currently, vaping regulation is
complicated and not well enforced,
making it easy for people (particularly
younger people) to access them. Nicotinecontaining vapes are only legally available
via prescription, but because people can
personally import them with a prescription
from overseas, it is incredibly hard to ensure
they meet the standards of the Therapeutic
Goods Administration (TGA). This
personal importation scheme also makes
enforcement much more complicated at the
borders, facilitating black market supply.
Meanwhile, vapes labelled as non-nicotine
are legally sold over the counter or online
to those over the age of 18. However, most
vapes include nicotine, even when they are
labelled otherwise. When Border Force and
the TGA seized 35 tons (yes, tons) of vapes
in a joint operation, 85% were found to be
falsely labeled as nicotine free. This labelling
deliberately misleads consumers, potentially
causing new nicotine addiction. Sales
regulation is the responsibility of the states
and territories, but it is not well enforced.
Some States, such as NSW, have ramped up
their enforcement measures, while others are
not doing enough.
Online, vapes are marketed and purchased
via social media platforms. This year, the
AMA and the Australian Council on
Smoking and Health awarded British
American Tobacco the Dirty Ashtray
Award for initiating and financing a
pro-vaping astroturf campaign. The
inaugural Exploding Vape Award was
presented to Meta — the owners of
Facebook, Instagram, Threads and
WhatsApp — for failing to enforce
its own policy, which is supposed to ban
the promotion of tobacco or nicotine
products on its platforms.
A U N I F I E D ST RAT EGY
Thankfully, in May, Health Minister
Mark Butler announced a suite of vaping
reforms, including a retail ban on all
vapes, an importation ban and a ban on
single-use vapes. For prescription vapes,
the TGA will be tightening the minimum
quality standards, including implementing
pharmaceutical-like packaging, restricting
flavours, ingredients and colours, and
reducing nicotine concentrations and
volumes. These announcements align
well with Federal AMA advocacy, and
we eagerly await their implementation.
Also, in October, I met with the head of
the TGA to support their actions on vaping
and be briefed on new developments.
We cannot make the same mistakes we
made with conventional cigarettes. We need
a unified strategy across all jurisdictions to
tackle the rise in nicotine addiction from
vapes. This includes urgently implementing
the vaping reforms, particularly ensuring
the prescription-only model is consistent
in all jurisdictions. We must also remain
vigilant against the threat of smoking.
The AMA Public Health Committee will
continue monitoring this issue and advocate
to prevent future generations becoming
addicted to nicotine.
VI CD O C SU M M ER 202 3
81
