E-cigarettes are a tried and tested product overseas that have helped over 7 million people quit smoking in Europe alone, which equates to nearly 1 in 3 Australians. Current evidence suggests they are at least 20 times, or 95% safer than smoking. Despite the incredible success of these products overseas, and their obvious potential benefits to public health here in Australia, the government has maintained the current restriction to only access e-cigarette products containing nicotine through doctors under a prescription. This is currently the only way smokers can legally access these products in Australia, which is proving to be a difficult obstacle for many. The penalties for using Nicotine without a prescription are severe, with fines as high as $45,000, and a possible 2 years in prison in some states.
Dr. Karen Counter, an Australian Tobacco Treatment Specialist, is one of the doctors now providing free prescriptions for Australian smokers. “I have been watching smokers die for over 35 years despite them having ready access to other NRT options and medications, with the average smoker having 12 failed quit attempts using these products. As a doctor, it is my ethical duty to provide my patients with advice and access to the best possible health care services and products that are legally available. I am not suggesting that e-cigarettes are more effective or safer than the other NRT options like patches, but the fact 3 million Australians still smoke despite the known serious adverse health effects, and the continuously increasing price of cigarettes, demonstrates the existing smoking cessation options aren’t working. To fail to prescribe a nicotine based e-cigarette product to an adult patient who has been unsuccessful with all other options would be a breach of my duty of care.,” says Dr Karen Counter.
Ryan Boulton, the founder and managing director of Nicovape, a website which provides free online medical prescriptions for nicotine for e-cigarettes, believes that the problem lies in access. “The average Australian, such as a stay-at-home mother for example, generally doesn’t have the time to go to a doctor to get the legally required prescription, then there’s the added uncertainty of not knowing what’s safe and what’s not when buying online, and so they continue to smoke. Our products are manufactured in state of the art, GMP certified facilities, and are substantially cheaper than smoking. We were determined to provide smokers a safer, more affordable, and legal alternative,” says Ryan.
Nicovape is a NZ based e-cigarette device and eliquid manufacturer, with a goal to ultimately eradicate all smoking-related illnesses in Australia. Ryan’s vision for Nicovape is to create a reputable company endorsed by the medical community to help save a million Australian lives. It is a foundation sponsor of the Australian Tobacco Harm Reduction Association charity which has been established to educate the public and health professionals about tobacco harm reduction
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