August 2022

E-cigarettes uptake on the rise across Australia

The growing concern of e-cigarette use has been prominent in the media lately. These concerns have prompted the McGowan government to launch a new anti-vaping campaign in schools.

Cancer Council are calling for the following:

1. Strengthen enforcement at the border to stop the flood of illegal e-cigarettes into Australia.
2. Expand compliance programs to seize illegal nicotine e-cigarette products and deter non-pharmacy retailers from unlawfully supplying them.
3. Strengthen WA legislation to explicitly prohibit the sale, supply, advertising and promotion of e-cigarette devices and components (other than in accordance with the TGA approach).
4. Prohibit the use of e-cigarettes in places where tobacco smoking is prohibited in WA.

Other recently published articles:

• School staff perceptions of the nature and consequences of students’ use of e-cigarettes. 
• Nicotine delivery and cigarette equivalents from vaping a JUUL pod.

Community‐based research during COVID‐19: the Which Way? study

The Which Way? study is an Indigenous-led study aiming to empower and support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women to be smoke-free. Authors find preferred smoking cessation support strategies in Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander women include face-to-face support at Aboriginal health service (73.4%), online support (38.8%), and phone support (34.8%).

Listen to Dr Michelle Kennedy and Dr Raglan Maddox talk about supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women to live smoke-free.

New Zealand’s tobacco endgame

New Zealand’s plan to be smoke-free by 2025 is one step closer to becoming reality. The bill’s 3 strategies include:

1. Reducing nicotine content in tobacco so it is no longer addictive (“denicotinisation” or “very low nicotine cigarettes” (VLNC)).
2. 90% to 95% reduction in the number of shops that can sell tobacco.
3. Making it illegal to sell tobacco to people born in 2009 or later (creating a “smoke-free generation”).

Modelling shows the bill has potential to reduce health inequities, add an extra 600,000 “health-adjusted life years” lived, reduce future health expenditure, and increase income productivity of New Zealanders.

Time for renewed national anti-smoking campaign

A new Daffodil Centre study found almost one in five cancer deaths in Australia will be directly attributable to smoking from 2020-2044. That’s 250, 000 expected smoking-related cancer deaths. The time is now to revive Australia's National Tobacco Campaign. 

Canada's new proposed health warning regulations

Canada has proposed new health warnings to complement their plain packaging requirements. The warnings on each cigarette “will help ensure that these essential messages reach people, including the youth who often access cigarettes one at a time in social situations, sidestepping the information printed on a package.”

Latest report on Australia’s attitudes and perceptions towards drugs by region

In 2019, most people supported government policies to reduce tobacco use. There was highest support for measures that protected young people and minors.

Measures to increase tax on tobacco products had the highest level of opposition. Support for tobacco policies was high across most regions.

Around 7 in 10 (69%) people thought the use of e-cigarettes should be restricted in public places and have similar restrictions to traditional cigarettes. 

Awards and recognition

Congratulations to our tobacco control colleagues for their outstanding contribution and achievements in the field!

• Kylie Lindorff (WHO Western Pacific Region Award)
• Dr Ruth Shean, Dr Michelle Scollo, & Todd Harper (2022 Queen’s birthday honours)
• Prof. Emily Banks (AMA Gold Medal)

One for your reading list!

Simon Chapman’s recently published book talks of the rise of assisted quitting: a multi billion-dollar industry promoting what Simon calls “weapons of mass distraction”. He puts forth actionable policy solutions to make positive change and help smokers quit for good.