E-cigarette Use Impact in Australia

This screening and scoping report examines the health impact assessment of e-cigarette use in Australia. It explores the increasing popularity of e-cigarettes among smokers, potential benefits for smoking cessation, concerns raised by stakeholders, and international evidence regarding e-cigarettes' effectiveness. The report also discusses the need for government regulations on e-cigarettes to balance harm reduction strategies with consumer safety and public health considerations.

Screening and Scoping Report 1
Health Impact Assessment of E-cigarette Use in Australia
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Screening and Scoping Report 2
Screening and Scoping Report
E-cigarettes are increasingly popular among cigarette smokers who wish to reduce
their consumption of tobacco. Impact Assessments have been conducted to establish the
implications of e-cigarette smoking; whether it increases or decreases the smoking cessation.
This paper reports the findings of screening and scoping process of e-cigarettes by the
Australian government.
Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) also known as personal vaporisers (PVs) have
elicited concerns from relevant stakeholders the world over on their applicability in inducing
smoking cessation and reduction. Fraser et al. (2015) assert that the use of PVs “has increased
rapidly in Australia despite the legal barriers to the sale, possession and use of nicotine for
non-therapeutic purposes.” PVs are expected to reduce the harm of tobacco smoking. As such
it has been proposed that the government should make exceptions from nicotine
concentrations that are below 3.6 percent for self-administration through the E-cigarette
system (Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), 2018).
There is international evidence that e-cigarettes help smokers to reduce and quit
tobacco smoking. E-cigarettes address both the pleasure of nicotine use and the habit of
smoking. However, users must be cautioned through labelling and correct displaying of
relevant warnings and consumer information. The health impact assessment of e-cigarettes
should include both the economic and legal implications; however, the main aim is to
improve peoples’ health and cost of health systems (TGA, 2018).
In conclusion, e-cigarettes are a harm reduction strategy for tobacco smokers.
Therefore, Australia should use the available resources to develop regulations on the e-
cigarettes.

Screening and Scoping Report 3
References
Fraser, D., Weier, M., Keane, H. and Gartner, C. (2015). Vapers’ perspectives on electronic
cigarette regulation in Australia. International Journal of Drug Policy, 26(6), pp.589-
594.
Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). (2018). 2.1 Nicotine. [online] Available at:
https://www.tga.gov.au/book-page/21-nicotine-0 [Accessed 1 Feb. 2018].