Once again this article shows that the TGA is not independent of political interference
The
proposed legislation goes against TGA protocols
Changes in vaping laws causing confusion
Transcript
PROF. BECKY FREEMAN, UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY: They come in bright coloured packages, flavours ranging from you know, lollies to alcohol flavours to cocktails.
ANNE RUSTON, LIBERAL SENATOR: The Albanese Labor Government has failed to control the illicit vaping market.
MARK BUTLER, HEALTH MINISTER: So for those out there who have been selling and supplying these vapes in vape stores or other retail settings, you need to stop.
CASON HO, REPORTER: Australia has banned these fruity scented clouds and it’s now illegal to sell any vapes in retail stores.
VOX POP: Personally, I think it is good because there are a lot of young ‘uns that are getting their hands on it, so it should be really good but me being a vaper obviously, it’s kind of hard.
VOX POP 2: I’m surprised they were kind of allowed in the first place.
VOX POP 3: I have two teenage kids and when it comes to vaping, they can access them through friends, they can access them through newsagents, and I think bringing in the legislation might stop that access.
VOX POP 4: I kind of see what they’re doing with the funky labelling and the kids and stuff like that, but on the other hand it’s just going to push people back into smoking. Vapes have been an absolute godsend where I work.
CASON HO: The only place you can still legally buy a vape is at a pharmacy, in plain packaging, and without any fruity flavours.
But for some pharmacists, the extra business comes with extra headaches.
PHARMACIST: It wasn’t on script before, now back to script, and now they’re changing again. They need their guidelines to be developed before the law being passed so that we know how to manage the crowd of people coming in asking for vapes.
CASON HO: They just told me I can’t buy a vape because you still need a prescription to get one.
But all of that changes in October when the rules change again, and anyone over 18 will be able to buy a vape over the counter.
JORDON STEELE-JOHN, GREENS SENATOR: It is historic what we are about to do.
CASON HO: That amendment was pushed by the Greens who gave their support to the Federal Government to pass the new laws through the Senate on the condition prescriptions were dropped.
JORDON STEELE-JOHN: That can cost people a lot of money, we were really worried about the out-of-pocket cost of seeing your GP.
We wanted to make sure that as this issue was addressed, we did so in a way that didn't place additional costs on people in a cost-of-living crisis, while maintaining a policy response that was in a health-based frame.
CASON HO: But the move goes against the advice of some public health experts like Professor Becky Freeman.
BECKY FREEMAN: It does take away that extra step where smokers would have gone to speak to a doctor. This might have been the only opportunity some smokers actually go to visit a doctor. So it's a lost opportunity.
But the alternative where these products would remain in shops and being so freely sold sort of openly, illegally to children, it's much improved on that situation.
CASON HO: In October, nicotine vapes will be downgraded from a Schedule 4 medicine, to Schedule 3 – which means adults won’t need a prescription to get them from a pharmacy.
But the national guidelines for classifying medicines actually says a Schedule 3 item is not expected to ‘produce dependency’.
BECKY FREEMAN: The health issue we face with these products is that young people use them, they're not safe, and they become addictive. Products like vapes are addictive and I think that's probably part of the discomfort that we're seeing here from pharmacists is that they know that these vaping products are addictive.
JORDON STEELE-JOHN: I think that when you look at descriptions of Schedule 3 versus other products, that you have got to look at it in the context of the overall public health policy goal you're trying to achieve.
I think we've struck the right balance, and we will have the opportunity to recalibrate the policy settings when we review the legislation and see whether anything needs to change.
CASON HO: Several major pharmacy brands have already flagged they won’t stock vapes for over-the-counter sales.
But it’s up to individual pharmacies whether they do or don’t.
ANDREW NGEOW, PHARMACIST: Vapes, at this point in time, do not have a proven track record to be efficacious or safe.
At the moment there is no vape that is currently approved for clinical use in its treatment for smoking cessation.
CASON HO: WA branch president of the Pharmacy Guild, Andrew Ngeow, says the industry is still waiting for clear advice from the Therapeutic Goods Administration.
ANNE RUSTON: The Government seems to think that it’s okay to do some deal with the Greens at the last minute and confuse all of Australia.
CASON HO: The Opposition has raised concerns the lack of support from pharmacists could spur on black market activity.
In a statement, shadow health minister Anne Ruston said the new laws also sent a “concerning message” by “having vaping products being sold next to essential medicines like children’s Panadol”.
ANDREW NGEOW: The major concern we have at the moment is that people who cannot access vapes now will be driven back towards using cigarettes, or if they can’t get it legally, my concern is they’ll turn to illegal means such as the black market.
CASON HO: I’ve just left a store which is still selling vapes. They had all the fruity flavours, and the seller said they definitely had nicotine.
They also told me they’re going to continue selling vapes despite the ban.
JORDON STEELE-JOHN: I think the reality is we have a black market now. That is what we have now. That is one of the key aspects of the policy settings that we've just left behind that was so alarming to me.
This is a regulated policy approach. This is not prohibition.
Laws allowing nicotine vapes to be sold in pharmacies without a prescription from October, contradicting national guidelines for classifying medicines and chemicals.
Pharmacists have been wrestling with the new federal laws implemented this week which ban all vape sales – with or without nicotine – outside of pharmacies.
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