Here’s why Australia government is promoting quitting vaping

Chris, a teacher at a high school in New South Wales, claims that “the horse has bolted now; they are addicted.”

He is referring to youngsters in his class who can’t stop vaping.

Daily, He observes how nicotine-filled, candy-flavoured e-cigarettes affect young minds, with kids even smoking in class.

“Those most invested just get up from their seats, or they will be restless or anxious. The worst violators leave because they are withdrawing.

He claims that those who are most addicted—13 and 14-year-olds—need nicotine patches or treatment.

The administration decided enough is enough earlier this month and enacted several new limitations. Even though many jurisdictions currently prohibit vaping, new legislation will restrict their availability to those with a prescription.

Authorities in Australia claim that the “number one behavioural issue” in schools nationwide is the rise in the number of students who vape.

They also accuse single-use vapes, which some experts believe may be even more addictive than heroin and cocaine yet are currently sold in Australia’s convenience stores next to the chocolate bars at the counter.

Chris, a worried teacher, has no choice but to act.

We can ask them to visit to the principal’s office if we suspect they are using a vaporizer. My former head teacher said he wanted to put vape detector alarms in the restrooms, but we weren’t allowed to do so because it would violate people’s privacy.

Because they don’t produce tar, which is the main factor in lung cancer, e-cigarettes have been promoted as a safer alternative to tobacco.

To assist cigarette smokers in making the changeover to a less lethal habit, some nations continue to promote them through public health efforts.

The UK government announced plans to give away one million free starter kits for vaping to smokers in England last month to reduce smoking rates to 5% or below by 2030.

However, the Australian government claims that there is currently inadequate proof that e-cigarettes can aid smokers in quitting. Instead, according to a study, it might encourage adolescent vapers to start smoking later in life.

E-cigarettes, often known as vapes, are powered by lithium batteries and include cartridges filled with liquid nicotine, artificial flavourings, and other compounds.

The liquid is heated until it becomes a vapour, which the user inhales into their lungs.

As per Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction organization, vaping began to gain popularity in the middle of the 2000s, and by 2021 there were 81 million vapers worldwide.

Flavoured vapes that appeal to young people are becoming increasingly popular, causing growth.

While specific devices marketed as “nicotine-free” can carry significant amounts, these items can contain nicotine in much higher concentrations than conventional cigarettes.

Formaldehyde and acetaldehyde, associated with cancer, heart disease, and lung disease, are also present in the chemical cocktail.

A higher risk of stroke, respiratory infections, and deteriorated lung function are also mentioned.

More is needed to know about the long-term health repercussions, according to experts.

However, some troubling information has already emerged.

US health authorities found more than 2,800 cases of lung damage brought on by vaping or e-cigarettes in 2020. As per Centers for Disease Control as well as Prevention, that injury was responsible for 68 fatalities.

More than half of all Australian youngsters who had ever vaped had done so using an e-cigarette they were aware contained nicotine and believed vaping to be socially acceptable behaviour, according to an extensive survey by the country’s top cancer charity, The Cancer Council.

The survey said that friends or “dealers” inside and outside of schools, as well as convenience stores and tobacconists, were the sources of e-cigarettes for school-age youngsters.

According to the Generation Vape study, teens have also admitted to buying vapes online, in pop-up shops, and through social media.

Anita Dessaix, chair of the Cancer Council and report author, noted that although all methods of obtaining e-cigarettes by teenagers are prohibited, they nonetheless happen in plain sight of local, state, and federal law enforcement.

“All Australian governments claim to be committed to making sure that only smokers with a prescription who are trying to quit can access e-cigarettes, but a crisis in youth e-cigarette use is playing out in the open,” one official said.

All single-use disposable vapes will be made illegal in addition to the government’s decision to outlaw the import of all non-pharmaceutical vaping items, making them now only purchasable with a prescription.

There will be limits on amount and strength of nicotine in e-cigarettes, and both flavours and packaging must be plain and bear warning notices.

According to Professor Emily Banks, a public health specialist at the Australian National University, these new restrictions are mild.

Australia is not a unique case. Although having a prescription-only model is unusual, some countries—which include nearly all of Latin America, India, Thailand, and Japan—forbid it entirely.

According to health minister Mark Butler, the “biggest loophole in Australian healthcare history” will be closed, thanks to the new vaping legislation.

“Big Tobacco” has created another addictive product, wrapped it in glitzy packaging, and added sweet flavours to produce a new generation of nicotine addicts, just like they did with smoking.

He declared, “We were tricked.

Medical professionals concur. Prof. Banks contends that the tobacco business used a standard “sleight-of-hand” to promote e-cigarettes as a “healthier” substitute.

As a result, vaping has “normalized” in Australia and the UK.

According to her statement, “There are over 17,000 flavours, and the majority of users is not for quitting smoking.”

They receive a lot of marketing aimed towards kids and teenagers. The most general use pattern is dual use, including those who smoke and use e-cigarettes.

According to Professor Banks, authorities must “de-normalize” teen vaping, making it far more challenging to obtain vapes.

“Kids are perceiving the ease with which they can obtain [vapes] as proof that [they are safe], and they’re saying, ‘Well if they were that unsafe, I wouldn’t be able to buy one at the coffee shop,'” says the author.

But will stricter regulations make it difficult for those who use vapes to give up or reduce their cigarette use? It’s crucial to remember that e-cigarettes have been beneficial for certain people. But according to Prof. Banks, we shouldn’t remark, “This is great for smokers to quit.”

“We know from Australia, the US, and Europe that two-thirds and three-quarters of people who successfully stop smoking do so without assistance.”

You’re trying to introduce these [vapes], saying they’re a terrific way to stop smoking, but in reality, 13-year-olds are using bubble gum-flavoured vapes in the school restrooms. The community did not sign up for that.