Vape reforms a case where near enough is good enough

Since hitting the mainstream, vapes have been perceived as a less harmful and deadly option than smoking, all while delivering a nicotine hit.

Perversely, instead of curbing smoking rates as some had anticipated, vapes have presented as a popular product to young people with sweet, fruity flavour, a faint smell and more value for money than a pack of cigarettes or a pouch of tobacco.

The latest National Drug Strategy Household Survey, released this year, found rates of vaping in Australia had increases in 2022-23.

It reported that one in five people aged 14 and over had used an e-cigarette at least once in their lifetime, and that one in 10 people 18 to 24 year olds vaped daily.

The survey showed teen use of vaping had increased from 1.8 per cent in 2019 to 9.7 per cent in 2022-23.

The federal government earlier this year attempted to crack down on access to vaping, particularly to young people, by banning the importation of single-use vapes into the country without a permit or import licence.

After the government's vaping reform bill passed this week, vapes can only be sold in a pharmacy from July 1 with a prescription from a general practitioner.

From October 1, a prescription will no longer be required.

Vapes sold at pharmacies will not have the array of flavours that some have become accustomed to, rather just menthol and tobacco flavours, and will be sold in plain packaging like cigarettes.

Other retailers found to be illegally selling vapes from next week will face heavy fines and even the prospect of jail time.

These are heavy restrictions, at least in comparison to the sale of tobacco.

Even so, the amendment moved on the floor of parliament, apparently without consultation with the public health sector, to relax a requirement for a GP prescription for the purchase of a vape angered some GPs, who believed medical supervision was needed for vapes to be used effectively for smoking cessation, and angered pharmacists who claimed that the changes would effectively make them part-time tobacconists.

The Pharmacy Guild of Australia said they were only made aware of a deal reached between the Greens and Labor for vapes to be sold by pharmacists without a subscription through a media release.

The guild pointed out that the amendment undermined the role of pharmacists as health care professionals and sent the message that e-cigarettes were therapeutic, health care products.

It said there was mixed opinion whether vapes led to smoking cessation overall and long-term health impacts remained unknown.

Health Minister Mark Butler in response to concerns that the amendment had weakened the intent of the bill said that pharmacists already sold vapes and it would be an individual choice for pharmacists to stock vapes or not.

Greens leader Adam Bandt reasoned the bill still would go a long way to restrict the availability of vapes, particularly to children as planned.

While the legislation is imperfect, it will at least put the clamp on an addictive product and save those who are genuinely trying to ween themselves off nicotine costly GP consultations.