BACKGROUND: Australian laws covering electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are complex and vary between jurisdictions. The supply of nicotine-containing e-cigarettes in Australia is illegal. Possession or use of nicotine in e-cigarettes without approval is also illegal and the sale of non-nicotine e-cigarettes is illegal in some states. Despite the current legal barriers, the use of e-cigarettes by Australian smokers has increased over recent years. OBJECTIVE: This article summarises these laws, recent cases involving e-cigarettes and what is known about their safety and efficacy as cessation aids. DISCUSSION: Australian medical practitioners are likely to be asked about e-cigarettes by patients who smoke and may be interested in using them to quit smoking. The efficacy of e-cigarettes as a cessation aid has not been fully established. The health risk of long-term use is also unknown, although it is probably less than that of smoking cigarettes. There is an urgent need for research on the health effects of e-cigarettes and their use in quitting smoking.
BACKGROUND: Australian laws covering electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are complex and vary between jurisdictions. The supply of nicotine-containing e-cigarettes in Australia is illegal. Possession or use of nicotine in e-cigarettes without approval is also illegal and the sale of non-nicotine e-cigarettes is illegal in some states. Despite the current legal barriers, the use of e-cigarettes by Australian smokers has increased over recent years. OBJECTIVE: This article summarises these laws, recent cases involving e-cigarettes and what is known about their safety and efficacy as cessation aids. DISCUSSION: Australian medical practitioners are likely to be asked about e-cigarettes by patients who smoke and may be interested in using them to quit smoking. The efficacy of e-cigarettes as a cessation aid has not been fully established. The health risk of long-term use is also unknown, although it is probably less than that of smoking cigarettes. There is an urgent need for research on the health effects of e-cigarettes and their use in quitting smoking.
Authors: Pongkwan Yimsaard; Ann McNeill; Hua-Hie Yong; K Michael Cummings; Janet Chung-Hall; Summer Sherburne Hawkins; Ann C K Quah; Geoffrey T Fong; Richard J O'Connor; Sara C Hitchman Journal: Nicotine Tob Res Date: 2021-03-19 Impact factor: 4.244
Authors: Carla Meurk; Pauline Ford; Ratika Sharma; Lisa Fitzgerald; Coral Gartner Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2016-11-23 Impact factor: 3.390
Authors: Britt Hallingberg; Olivia M Maynard; Linda Bauld; Rachel Brown; Linsay Gray; Emily Lowthian; Anne-Marie MacKintosh; Laurence Moore; Marcus R Munafo; Graham Moore Journal: Tob Control Date: 2019-04-01 Impact factor: 6.953
Authors: Hua-Hie Yong; Ron Borland; James Balmford; Sara C Hitchman; K Michael Cummings; Pete Driezen; Mary E Thompson Journal: Nicotine Tob Res Date: 2016-05-17 Impact factor: 4.244