AACS: NZ SHOWS THE PATH FORWARD WITH ECIGARETTES

May 11, 2018: New Zealand has taken the lead in the common sense stakes, with eCigarettes to be legalised for sale as a safer alternative for consumers across the Tasman.
The move puts the pressure on the Australian Government to do likewise and provide Australians access to products proven internationally to help people quit smoking traditional tobacco.
The Australasian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS) has for years called for the development of an appropriate legal framework to govern the sale of eCigarettes in Australia.
AACS CEO Jeff Rogut says it’s time to leave the entrenched views of the health lobby behind and embrace a product which a Public Health England study from 2015 shows are around 95% safer than conventional cigarettes.
“ECigarettes have helped millions of people around the world quit smoking. New Zealand, like many other countries, has now recognised this, and the longer the Department of Health in Australia sits on its hands, the longer we deny Australians a safer alternative,” Mr Rogut says.
“These products have the capacity to generate genuine improvements in societal health and we owe it to people looking to quit tobacco to provide a viable option to help.”
Melbourne GP Dr Attila Danko highlights the absurdity of the Australian response to eCigarettes in today’s media, saying: “Basically the most harmful product (tobacco) is legally able to be sold everywhere, including the corner milk bar, but the safer product (e-cigarettes and vaping products) isn’t.’’
University of NSW professor Colin Mendelsohn has been equally vocal in calling for eCigarettes to be legalised, with his recent paper outlining research that found adults who changed from smoking traditional tobacco to eCigarettes demonstrated improved health when it came to asthma, blood pressure, cardiovascular health and lung function, among other improvements.
The AACS State of the Industry Report 2017 released earlier this month highlights the potential for convenience stores to be a destination for eCigarettes and other quit-smoking products, given the $105 million growth in tobacco sales the channel experienced over the course of last year.
AACS research in this area shows Australians are overwhelmingly in support of legalising eCigarettes if they can help smokers quit. More than half of Australians feeling so strongly about the issue that it could influence their vote.
The research – the most extensive ever undertaken on the topic of eCigarettes in Australia – shows that 54% of Australians view the legalisation of eCigarettes as a potential vote-influencing or even vote-changing issue. It also shows that 73% of Australians would support the legalisation of eCigarettes to help smokers quit.
The AACS has identified several key considerations in the legalisation of eCigarettes, including restrictions in sales to minors, ensuring they are child tamper proof, contain an ingredients list, comply with quality standards and are manufactured and sold with strict safety standards in place.
“The time has come for the Australian Government to follow the lead of other progressive countries and provide more alternatives for people looking to quit smoking tobacco. ECigarettes can have a major positive impact on people’s health but without a proper framework for their legal sale, we risk black market operators filling the gap with products of inferior quality that don’t meet compliance standards,” Mr Rogut says.
A breakdown of the key AACS research findings into eCigarettes is included overleaf. 
Further information:                                                                                             
Jeff Rogut
Chief Executive Officer
Australasian Association of Convenience Stores
Ph: +61 467 873
Media enquiries: 
Stephen Naylor
Wise McBaron Communication
Ph: +61 (2) 9279 4770