Fruit flavoured vapes should be available on prescription to help smokers quit, the Australian Vaping Inquiry has been told.
Strict new laws that came into effect on 1 January ban the importation of all disposable vapes to Australia.
The government is now considering the next tranche of rules, which will see nicotine vapes only available on prescription through chemists - and only in tobacco or mild mint flavours.
It comes amid a broader push to phase out recreational vaping in the country completely.
The aim of the regulations is to protect children and young people from taking up vaping and to make vapes available to adults solely on prescription to help them quit smoking.
But this week, the senate inquiry heard that fruit flavours should not be banned as they help smokers move away from potentially fatal cigarettes.
Wilhelm David from prescription vape manufacturer From the Fields testified on Wednesday that, when used appropriately, vapes can help to save lives.
Limitations on flavours should be relaxed
He said the proposed limitations on flavours were “concerning” and should be relaxed to help smokers make the transition from cigarettes to therapeutic vapes.
“Most current users of therapeutic vapes now accessing simple fruit flavours will be significantly affected”, Mr David said. “Simple fruit flavours are not candy flavours. There’s a big difference.
“Therapeutic vapes already play an important role in transitioning smokers away from cigarettes.
“We continue to recommend Australian regulations to be amended on NVP nicotine vaping product) flavours to include simple fruit flavours, such as mango, blueberry and apple, in addition to menthol and tobacco.”
Fellow vape manufacturers Liber Pharmaceuticals and Bay Pharma backed the government’s proposed legislation, saying their products were helping those addicted to nicotine move away from cigarettes.
Adult smokers wanting to quit are being failed
Vaping advocates argue that the strict reforms in Australia will fail adult smokers who need easy access to vapes to help them quit.
Dr Colin Mendelsohn, founding Chairman of the Australian Tobacco Harm Reduction Association, says that as adults make up 95 per cent of the vaping population in Australia, their needs must not be overlooked.
“The prescription model is a significant barrier for adult smokers wishing to legally access regulated nicotine vaping products to quit smoking or to reduce smoking-related harm,” he said.
He added that the new laws will create a dominant black market for disposable vapes controlled by criminals, saying: “The prescription model has led to a lucrative, thriving black market run by organised crime groups, selling unregulated, mislabelled, high nicotine content disposable vapes to adults and children.”
