Read articles from Oceania

November 21, 2023 by theguardian.com

Lobby groups representing convenience and grocery stores have refused to tell a Senate inquiry how much they receive in tobacco and vaping industry funding. The failure to disclose industry funding – with the lobby groups saying they owe a duty of confidence over the information – follows public hearings into the public health (tobacco and other products) bill earlier in November and comes as concerns are raised about one lobby group having a parliamentary access pass.

November 17, 2023 by colinmendelsohn.com.au

NEW EVIDENCE-BASED GUIDELINES on vaping have been released by the UK National Centre for Smoking Cessation and Training to educate health professionals about vaping and to encourage them to assist smokers to quit with vaping. The guidelines were prepared by a team of UK and international experts in the field. The briefing (available here) is also a valuable aid to Australian health professionals. Most Australian doctors remain misinformed about vaping and very few are able to provide support for smokers, raising fears among vapers that they will not be able to access prescriptions and legal vaping supplies when the new regulations are introduced.

November 08, 2023 by colinmendelsohn.com.au

Health Minister Mark Butler highlighted legitimate concerns about youth vaping. However his proposed solutions could undermine public health and miss the chance to leverage vaping as a cessation tool for adult smokers. [...] The crux of the issue is Australia's flawed vaping regulation. The current regulations have created a thriving black market which make vapes readily accessible for young people. The prescription-only model for vaping has been opposed by healthcare professionals and rejected by the public. It has created a booming black market, complete with violence and criminal activity, and a proliferation of substandard, unregulated products sold to minors.

November 03, 2023 by gfn.tv

The evidence is clear: vaping is far safer than smoking, and vaping is a much more effective quitting aid than traditional nicotine replacement therapies. But many regulators and key stakeholders remain unconvinced. In this episode, Colin Mendelsohn discusses his recent review exploring the evidence behind vaping and the way forward for nicotine in Australia.

November 02, 2023 by theguardian.com

Children are sleeping with vaping devices under their pillow because they are so addicted to nicotine they can’t get through the night without a hit, a hearing into tobacco reforms has heard. Speaking on behalf of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (Racgp), Dr Hester Wilson said young people are being “inundated” with advertisements promoting vaping on social media and are grappling with nicotine addiction.

October 27, 2023 by abc.net.au

Victorian police have raided 16 regional tobacco shops in a crackdown on organised crime syndicates linked to illicit tobacco. Accompanied by Australian Border Force officers and tax officials, police raided outlets in Shepparton, Seymour, Yarrawonga, and Ballarat, seizing more than $2 million worth of vapes, cigarettes, loose tobacco, and cash. The Taskforce Viper raids on Thursday targeted six stores in Shepparton and eight in Seymour, Yarrawonga, and Ballarat.

October 23, 2023 by colinmendelsohn.com.au

TODAY WE SENT A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW of the latest evidence on nicotine vaping to all Australian federal, state and territory Members of Parliament. We hope the review will help to support evidence-based policymaking. The fully referenced document (available here) outlines the health effects of vaping, its potential as a quitting aid, the challenge of youth vaping and why Australia’s prescription-only regulatory model has failed. It also addresses the key myths on vaping.

October 19, 2023 by radio-canada.ca

Officials elsewhere want to create the first 'smoke-free generation' As some countries move toward banning the next generation from smoking, experts here say Canada should weigh whether a similar ban could work to stop youth from picking up the habit. [...] Experts who study teen smoking and vaping habits say although these smoking bans don't necessarily target vaping, a public discussion about a generational smoking ban and what that could look like in Canada is warranted. There are lots of contextual factors that come to play that we really need to consider when we are thinking about implementing something like this in Canada, said Laura Struik, [...]

October 19, 2023 by stuff.co.nz

The use of nicotine e-liquid vaping is increasing, a Massey University study has shown. The university released its third round of findings from its New Zealand Drugs Trends Survey which showed that while the use of no-nicotine e-liquid had decreased, nicotine e-liquid vaping was on the rise and levels of cannabis vaping were steady. [...] Dr Marta Rychert said, nicotine products were often used daily, while cannabis and no-nicotine vapes were used less frequently.

October 16, 2023 by colinmendelsohn.com.au

THE VAST MAJORITY OF AUSTRALIAN VOTERS want regulated nicotine vaping products to be sold through licensed retail outlets, like alcohol and tobacco. This was the finding of a RedBridge market research study of 1,500 Australians aged 18 and over, conducted last month. The research was commissioned by the Australian Association of Convenience Stores. The survey revealed that 88% of respondents support the idea that regulated nicotine vaping products should be available for sale to adults aged 18 and older through licensed retail outlets, the same as alcohol and tobacco products.