Australian Government Releases Information on Scientific Research into Vaping

In September 2018, Australian Health Minister Greg Hunt agreed to an independent investigation into the scientific evidence surrounding e-cigarettes.
 
Liberal Party members in Australia have long been working to overturn the current ban on e-cigarettes. Devices without nicotine are legal, but using nicotine-containing pods is not. In August 2016, some public health advocates submitted a proposal to the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) to remove the standard for nicotine concentrations below 3.6%. However, in February 2017, the TGA rejected the application and upheld the nicotine ban.

Last September, during a party meeting, several members of parliament raised the issue again, stating that there was widespread support within the government for legalizing nicotine-containing devices. The discussion was sparked by New South Wales Liberal Trent Zimmerman, and although Health Minister Hunt stated he still opposed any changes to the current regulations, he ultimately agreed to an independent investigation into the scientific evidence regarding these devices.

However, nearly a year later, little information has been released about the investigation. Last week, in response to a question from Senator Cory Bernardi, the Australian government finally disclosed some details.

The study will be conducted by the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health at the Australian National University, led by the esteemed epidemiologist Professor Emily Banks and her team. The project has a grant of $750,000 starting from February 27, 2019, and is expected to be completed by December 2020.

According to the senator, since the project is a review of evidence, but "there is no scope of authority," everyone agrees that it is important and will determine whether the investigation is worthwhile, hence there is much controversy.

On the other hand, fortunately, the investigation will be independent, and "the assessment is designed by the centre, and it will be independent." This increases the likelihood of an objective and unbiased report.

ATHRA's Recommendations

Meanwhile, the Australian Tobacco Harm Reduction Association (ATHRA) has made the following recommendations:

"ATHRA's suggestion to the minister is that the investigation should consider three issues.

1. The primary consideration is to assess the net public health benefits. The fundamental question is, "What is the overall net effect on public health?" Do the potential benefits of vaping outweigh the potential harms at the population level? This is the core issue guiding policy-making.

2. There are also ethical considerations. For example, how do we weigh the rights of adult smokers to safer alternatives against the risks of youth uptake? Is it appropriate to allow the sale of high-risk cigarettes while banning lower-risk options?

3. Finally, which regulatory model is most likely to optimize the public health impact of vaping? Options include:

Rearranging nicotine

How should vaporizers be classified: consumer products, tobacco products, therapeutic products, or a combination of these?

Specific regulatory issues: sales, manufacturing, importation, distribution, use, product design, including electronic liquid components and emissions, advertising/promotion/sponsorship, taxation, health warning labels, and child safety standards

Strategies to minimize adverse public health impacts such as youth uptake

Risk proportionate regulation