10,000-Puff Disposable E-Cigarettes Appear in Australia, Raising Widespread Concern

According to reports today, the emergence of e-cigarettes that claim to hold up to 10,000 puffs has prompted health authorities in Australia to take urgent action, given the rate at which young people in Australia are adopting this habit.

Meanwhile, the Queensland branch of the Australian Medical Association (AMAQ) is calling on the government to crack down on the e-cigarette industry to protect the health of young people.

Associate Professor Becky Freeman from the University of Sydney recently led the Generation Vape study, which surveyed over 700 teenagers aged 14 to 17 in New South Wales to understand their experiences and perceptions of e-cigarettes.

The study found that 70% of respondents had used e-cigarettes, while 30% purchased them themselves from friends or commercial retail outlets like convenience stores and tobacco shops.

Dr. Freeman told the ABC that she had seen an e-cigarette device claiming to contain 10,000 puffs after it was confiscated by New South Wales authorities late last year.

She noted that this emergence follows a decade of changes in devices that are more appealing to children. Many e-cigarette devices claim to provide hundreds to thousands of puffs.

"In the past 18 months, larger devices have appeared on the market, and while they are still disposable, they contain a lot of liquid and can be puffed many times, so they are also rechargeable," Dr. Freeman said.

"When we compare it to cigarettes... a typical pack of cigarettes says it contains 20 cigarettes, with each cigarette providing 10 puffs, totaling 200 puffs per pack." she explained.

"These disposable devices come with a charging cable, allowing you to plug in and continue using until you reach 10,000 puffs."

Dr. Freeman stated that the habits of e-cigarette users often differ from those of smokers.

"When a smoker goes out for a smoke break, they typically only take one cigarette, and they are likely to finish it before returning indoors to work or to their social environment," she said.

"In contrast, e-cigarette users may continuously use their products throughout the day, taking small puffs to maintain their nicotine levels."

However, Dr. Freeman noted that the Generation Vape study indicates that younger users prefer devices that provide 100 to 200 puffs because they are cheaper and easier to conceal, while the new high-capacity devices are more popular among older teenagers and young adults.

AMAQ President Maria Boulton expressed concern over the nicotine and chemical content in e-cigarette devices that contain thousands of puffs.

Dr. Boulton stated that one concern is the number of toxic substances in e-cigarettes that promise thousands of puffs.

"The e-cigarette industry is highly unregulated, and often we do not know what we are finding or what is contained in these e-cigarettes," she said.

"The issue is that there are already laws prohibiting the sale of nicotine-containing e-cigarettes to those without prescriptions, yet somehow these e-cigarettes are still being sold on the market, and they are still being marketed to children and teenagers. This is really very, very serious," Dr. Boulton said, noting that research shows e-cigarettes are dangerous, regardless of whether they contain nicotine.

"What we do not want to see in the next 10 or 20 years is children growing up addicted to e-cigarettes and then developing chronic lung diseases, which unfortunately will shorten their lifespan."

Following reports of elementary school students using e-cigarettes, the Queensland Parliament committee is investigating the prevalence and risks of e-cigarettes in the state.

The parliamentary inquiry is currently accepting submissions and is expected to return with a report by the end of August.

AMAQ has called on the state government to establish a licensing system for tobacco retailers and to properly enforce existing regulations, as officials are already playing catch-up.

The federal government acknowledged last week that authorities have lost the battle over e-cigarettes.

It has committed to reviewing the Therapeutic Goods Administration's recommendations for e-cigarette reform, which received 4,000 submissions. Health Minister Mark Butler stated that the current state of e-cigarettes has become completely unacceptable.

He said in a statement that health ministers are determined to take strong action against the surge of illegal e-cigarettes in Australia and eliminate this threat.

"The tobacco industry has found a new way to cultivate a generation of nicotine addicts, and we will not tolerate it. The work of the TGA will help inform the work of health ministers."#p#分页标题#e#