The New South Wales (NSW) government has committed $6.8 million over three years to crack down on illegal nicotine vape sales and increase support for vape-addicted youths.
Funding of $2.5 million over the next 12 months would increase vape quitting services, including a digital platform, iCanQuit platform enhancements, and an online educational module.
About $4.3 million across the next three years would increase state compliance and enforcement on vaping products.
It comes amidst continued illegal nicotine vape sales across the state, causing addiction, brain development changes, learning and memory impairments, and worsened anxiety and depression in youth.
E-cigarette and vape users are three times more likely to smoke traditional tobacco cigarettes than those who have never vaped, according to the NSW government.
Preventing Sales to Youths: Minister
NSW Health Minister Ryan Park said strict action was urgent to stop the illegal sale of nicotine vapes to minors.“Vapes contain dangerous chemicals which can seriously impact a person’s health, with young people especially vulnerable. Many chemicals, including flavours, have not been tested for safety when inhaled into the lungs,” Mr. Park said, urging the community to report retailers doing the wrong thing.
The funding could double the number of statewide inspectors who enforce nicotine vape sales as illegal. However, vape retailers can still sell vapes without nicotine as federal reforms to ban all vapes have yet to come into legislation.
Mr. Park said the NSW government would not wait for the federal legislation.
NSW health inspectors took action in a week-long targeted raid from Sept. 5 and seized 23,247 vapes with a street value of over $695,000. Meanwhile, they could be set to double the 369,000 nicotine vapes with over $11.8 million street value seized from 5,000 inspections in 2022.
This year alone, NSW Health seized a record-breaking 187,000 vapes, up from 61,000 at the same time last year. Mr. Park said over 90 percent of the vapes seized contained illegal nicotine.
A woman is seen vaping in Melbourne, Australia, on May 3, 2023. AAP Image/Diego Fedele
However, only 14 retailers were prosecuted throughout the 5,000 inspections because current laws “essentially mean if a person isn’t sure the vape contained nicotine, then it’s hard to catch them,” Mr. Park said.
“Often there is no identification or packaging that includes nicotine information, so a retailer can, in some cases, say they weren’t aware.” Therefore, he said the new funding would focus on penalty assessment and packaging.
Retailers prosecuted for selling illegal vapes faced severe sanctions, including imprisonment for up to six months.
It comes after the University of Wollongong, on behalf of NSW Health, studied 428 vapes seized from retailers and 322 surrendered by children at Sydney schools.
Most vapes analysed in the study did not have nicotine listed as an active ingredient; however, high nicotine concentrations were detected in over 85 percent of the samples.
Further, 30 vapes contained at least one health-harming substance, including toxic chemicals like ethylene glycol, also found in antifreeze.
NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said, “The University of Wollongong research shows there is no such thing as a safe vape as you just don’t know what is in them.”
“As more vapes become available, more people seek help from health services for vaping-related health issues,” Ms. Chant said.
“The number of vaping-related calls to the NSW Poison Information Centre has tripled since 2020. What is most concerning is 71 percent of these calls were about nicotine poisonings in children under four years of age.”
Vaping Not as Harmful as Authorities Say, According to Doctor
Australian Tobacco Harm Reduction Association Chairman Dr. Colin Mendelsohn argues most youths who vape and have never smoked are only experimental and short-term vapers.He said exposure to toxicants and the risk of harm are low with this vaping pattern.
“Vaping can cause nicotine dependence in some young people who are not already smoking. However, this is a minority of cases,” Dr. Mendelsohn said. Further, a whole generation addicted to nicotine was not the case, and nicotine is “relatively benign” in the doses used in vaping.
“It does not cause cancer or lung disease. However, it does have minor cardiovascular effects. And if you use it frequently and then stop, you may experience unpleasant withdrawal symptoms and cravings.”
Further, he argued vaping could divert youth from smoking traditional tobacco cigarettes, particularly for youth who already smoke, and vaping restrictions could lead to increased traditional tobacco smoking among young people.
Addressing worsened mental health among youth, he said nicotine vaping was more common among teens with depression, and it was shown to reduce it along with anxiety.
In particular, he said nicotine benefited young people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and schizophrenia and could even assist with weight control and feelings of social acceptance and enjoyment.
He said young people who do not smoke should generally be advised not to start vaping due to its potential health risks. But at a population level, the benefits of youth vaping were particularly the reduction in smoking rates.
