Other proposals include restricting advertising and creating a public awareness campaign
The sale of e-cigarettes to minors may be banned and their use restricted in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT).
The ACT government has put forward a discussion paper on the use of personal vaporisers, or electronic cigarettes. Proposals in the paper also include restricting advertising and creating a public awareness campaign.
“There are a number of health concerns related to the use of personal vaporisers including the safety of the product, the long-term health effects and the potential to renormalise smoking within the community,” the ACT chief minister, Katy Gallagher, said.
“The ACT government is keen to ensure that non-smokers, particularly young people, are not encouraged to start using personal vaporisers.”
British anti-smoking organisations have expressed concern that the product could become a gateway for young people to take up cigarettes. Australia’s Cancer Council has expressed similar concerns.
“The changed culture around the acceptability of cigarette use in Australian kids is one of our nation’s great public health success stories,” the council’s chief executive, Ian Olver, said earlier this month.
“Electronic cigarettes are promoted as a less harmful alternative to tobacco smoking and in some cases as a way for smokers to quit. But there is a lack of evidence that electronic cigarettes help smokers to quit. There are also concerns that electronic cigarettes could keep smokers addicted to tobacco by providing a nicotine hit in smoke-free places.”
A number of other states and territories are looking into the sale and use of the devices.
No distributors of e-cigarettes responded to requests for comment.
Submissions to the ACT’s discussion paper close on 24 December.