THE merits and perils of e-cigarettes will come under scrutiny in a federal government discussion paper.
E-CIGARETTES are battery-powered devices that produce vapour infused with potentially addictive nicotine, but without the chemicals and tar of tobacco cigarettes.
Advocates say they are a less-dangerous alternative for smokers who can’t or don’t want to kick the habit. E-cigarettes containing liquid nicotine are illegal in Australia, but the devices can be bought over the counter in some states and the liquid can be ordered on the internet. The federal health department has issued a tender for consultants to draft a discussion paper with policy options. The consultants will prepare a summary of the evidence on the risks and potential benefits to health posed by e-cigarettes. The project will also examine how e-cigarettes are regulated, the extent of their use in Australia, examples of adverse events such as poisonings, environmental health issues and marketing practices. The discussion paper is expected to be released in the first half of 2015. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s most recent survey of household drug use found one in seven smokers had used e-cigarettes in the past 12 months. The biggest uptake was among 18- to 24-year-olds. A recent American study showed that while regular smoking was declining, the use of e-cigarettes among teenagers was rising. Sixteen per cent of 10th graders in the US had admitted trying an e-cigarette. A study by the Welsh government released this month found six per cent of 10- and 11-year-olds had used e-cigarettes, compared with two per cent trying real tobacco. Welsh health officials expressed concerns the devices might act as a gateway to “re-normalise smoking”.