Protesters March to Defend the Right to Vape

Dozens of vaping enthusiasts gathered at Victoria’s Parliament, exhaling large clouds of vapor toward lawmakers in protest against new legislation regulating vaping devices.

Supporters of vaping say the devices are a much healthier alternative to tobacco and can help smokers quit. But many health experts dispute those claims and remain skeptical about the potential benefits of e-cigarettes.

Sex Party MP Fiona Patten, who spoke at the rally in support of vaping, said the new legislation needs to be reviewed. The new law also bans the sale of e-cigarettes to children.

“Let’s protect the children, but let adults vape,” she said.

Under sweet-smelling clouds of vapor, protesters rallied for the right to use electronic devices that mimic the experience of smoking. They carried signs reading “Vaping saves lives” and “Don’t bully smokers, don’t bully quitters.”

Associate Professor Colin Mendelsohn of the University of New South Wales, who attended the rally, said vaping is an effective and safe way to help smokers quit.

“This is a unique technology that works better than other treatments,” he said.

But University of Sydney Emeritus Professor of Public Health Simon Chapman cited U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention research showing a sharp rise in e-cigarette use among students in grades 6 through 8 in 2014/15. These devices may contain nicotine-based liquid.

Professor Chapman said vaping is almost certainly less dangerous than smoking.

“That’s because almost everything is safer than cigarettes. They are the Mount Everest of danger,” he said.

Very little is also known about the possible health problems e-cigarettes may cause, Professor Chapman said. “Given that we do not know what the long-term consequences will be, that is a concern.”

He said major tobacco companies have already entered the e-cigarette market in some countries overseas.

Quit Victoria, the Australian Medical Association, the Heart Foundation, and the Cancer Council have written to Victorian MPs in support of regulating e-cigarettes.

The new law imposes restrictions on advertising e-cigarettes. Existing bans on point-of-sale displays for tobacco products will also apply to e-cigarettes and vapes.

It is currently illegal to sell nicotine-containing e-cigarettes, although some users circumvent the law by buying nicotine liquid from overseas.

A letter from public health groups said the new law would not prevent e-cigarettes from being used in the future as a quitting aid if the Therapeutic Goods Administration finds them to be safe and effective.

The organizations also support a ban on vaping in smoke-free areas, saying this is in line with public expectations.

Citing data from Cancer Council Victoria, the letter said curiosity is the most common reason Victorians use e-cigarettes.

But Paul McNamara, who owns two vaping supply stores, said the new law would make it impossible to properly display e-cigarette devices in his shops. He said the government is making it “harder” for smokers to give up cigarettes.