Mid West health professionals welcome vape law changes but believe prescriptions should be in place

Mid West health professionals have welcomed a world-leading ban on vapes, but not a last-minute change to the crackdown that will allow pharmacies to sell e-cigarettes.

Local medics say the crackdown is a first step, with more work to be done to tackle the growing rise of vaping and its harmful effects.

However, they say accessing vapes should come down to seeing a doctor, not a pharmacist.

The amended legislation passed the Senate on Wednesday after the Federal Government secured a deal with the Greens. It will now head to the Government-controlled House of Representatives to be ticked off before becoming law.

Under the deal, pharmacists will be able to sell vapes with limited nicotine content over the counter once they have had a discussion with the buyer about the health risks and confirm they are over 18.

The changes are a watered-down version of the Federal Government’s initial proposal to require smokers to get a doctor’s script.

The Pharmacy Guild of Australia strongly opposes the deal, which it has likened to turning pharmacies into a smoke shop or tobacconist, describing the expectation to become a vape retailer as “insulting”.

A guild spokesperson said: “Pharmacists are healthcare professionals who dispense medication that provides a proven therapeutic benefit.

“No vaping product has been approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration based on its safety, efficacy or performance.

“No vaping product is listed on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods.”

Chair of the Mid West GP Network Dr Richard Taylor said the reforms were a step in the right direction, but more work needed to be done.

“I think it needs to be on a prescription-only medication that is prescribed in a consultation with a doctor, discussing the pros, cons, risks and benefits. Vaping isn’t benign,” he said.

One of the main causes for concern, Dr Taylor said, was how vapes were marketed.

With colourful packaging and palatable flavours, children and adolescents are drawn to vapes, which can be equivalent to 12 packets of cigarettes in one device.

“I was walking along Marine Terrace with my eight-year-old and I saw a discarded vape packet on the ground, and he picked it up and asked if it was a packet of lollies,” Dr Taylor said.

“People who vape are three times more likely to take up smoking. It can cause seizures, lung injuries, burns and withdrawals. Overseas we are seeing kids who can’t make it through their three-hour exams at school without going into withdrawal.”

The new laws come into effect on July 1. Dr Taylor said it was an essential step forward in reducing the access of vapes, while simultaneously ensuring vape sales did not go underground.

If vapes were completely banned, Dr Taylor said there would be no insight into consumption, or regulations around who could buy them.