In Australia, it’s illegal to to use or possess liquid nicotine, which is what electronic cigarettes and liquid vaporizers use to deliver nicotine aerosols (“vapor”) to their users.
Meanwhile, it’s perfectly legal, so long as one is of age, to buy and smoke cigarettes, which also contain nicotine.
However, there’s a catch: vapers who want to vaporize their nicotine can still buy it, but only with a prescription from a licensed medical doctor.
In light of this, it may come as a surprise to find that the 2016 National Drug Strategy surveyed households across the continent and found that 1.2 percent of the country’s population is vaping. This translates into some 250,000 vapers in the country.
So why is the liquid nicotine used in vaporizers and e-cigs banned across the country while cigarettes, which are known to be fatal, remain legal for those of adequate age? The Australian Government’s Department of Health released a rationale explaining their position. For the most part, the sources they cite as evidence to back their current position and policy push notions that there is currently a lack of evidence to support the theory that e-cigarettes are safer and that such devices pose a risk to youth. What the “evidence” they cite largely ignores is the growing body of scientific studies published in peer-reviewed journals showing the benefits of vaping over smoking, of which there appears no shortage.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the world, electronic cigarettes remain accessible to the adult population. In the United Kingdom, the government’s position is essentially the opposite of Australia’s. In fact, their national health agencies have gone as far as to recommend smokers take up vaping in an attempt to quit smoking. Why? Because, according to their own rationale, it’s less harmful than smoking.
Based on the very limited “evidence” that Australia’s Department of Health cites in their rationale, they claim that the “current evidence base supports maintaining and, where appropriate, strengthening the current controls that apply to the marketing and use of e-cigarettes in Australia.”
Do you agree with the Australian government’s position on nicotine vaporizers and their ongoing ban on liquid nicotine? Chime in with your own thoughts on the matter in the comments section below.
The Best Portable Vaporizer Under $150...
You Haven't Lived Until You've Tried This Vape...
This Automatic Herb Grinder Can Roll You Joints...