On Friday 19, June 2020 the Australian Department of Health announced a prohibition on importing e-cigarettes containing vaporiser nicotine which means that all imports of nicotine used for vaping would be banned from 1 July 2020. 

Thanks to people power, all those who signed the vape petitions Liberal and Nationals Vape Petition and Legalise Vaping and those who called radio talk-back shows and all the letters written to local, state, and federal ministers, in just one week, on June 26th the prohibition date was extended to 1 January 2021 in an announcement by Greg Hunt MP Minister for Health

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This 5 NEWS TV story is a quick two-minute video about vaping - recent research has shown just how effective e-cigarettes are at helping people quit smoking and despite this research, many people are still confused about whether or not vaping is still a safer alternative to smoking. 

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Jan 31, 2020, the IBVTA launches #VapingSavesLives campaign.

The Independent British Vaping Trade Association (IBVTA) has released a leaflet to help clear the air on misinformation in media headlines about vaping by summarising the facts based on overwhelming credible sources of medical and scientific research. Read more

Download the leaflet here. 

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Today (28 January 2020) sees in a major shift in policy from the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) with the released of a guide for health professionals for reducing smoking rates which includes the use of e-cigarettes (vaping) as a second-line aid for smokers wanting to quit smoking. (Supporting smoking cessation: A guide for health professionals (2nd edition) (“the guide”)).

Nicholas Zwar, chairman of the expert advisory group behind the RACPG guide mentioned that the first-line aid were those products that have been tested and approved by the TGA but if a smoker has not succeeded in quitting using these methods (eg, nicotine patches and gums) and they are interested in nicotine vaping, there is some evidence of benefit and they could be considered as an aid.

The guide does stipulate caveats that smokers should be aware the long-term health effects of vaping are unknown.

For further detailed reading about the RACGPs recommendations see:

A bold plan to help more Australians to quit smoking 28 Jan 2020

Supporting smoking cessation: A guide for health professionals Chapter 2 Pharmacotherapy for smoking cessation

SMH: 28 Jan 2020 GPs cautiously recommend e-cigarettes to help smokers give up