23 October, 2020: Reports of the spiralling black market for e-cigarettes which contain nicotine being sold with impunity to anyone, including minors, highlights the urgent need for Government to regulate the sale of vaping products through legitimate, responsible retailing channels, says the Australasian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS).
“There are positive health outcomes available to Australians through the regulated, legal sale of e-cigarettes, given they are significantly safer for people to use than traditional tobacco. Unfortunately, by restricting the legal sale of products which are clearly in demand, the health impacts of the Government’s approach are decidedly negative,” AACS CEO Jeff Rogut says.
“This refusal to catch up with the rest of the world in making safer choices easier for consumers has allowed the black market for vaping products of unknown ingredients and from dubious sources to grow in Australia.
“Clearly, consumers are looking for safer alternatives to smoking. If health authorities are serious about helping people quit tobacco, they need to make vaping products legally available through responsible retailing channels urgently.
“Otherwise, just like the market for illegal cigarettes, Australia will become an even more lucrative market for criminals supplying illegal e-cigarettes at street level.”
AACS has consistently called on Government to regulate the legal sale of e-cigarettes and vaping products to support people looking to quit smoking traditional tobacco by offering them easy access to these products at times convenient to them, through proven responsible retailers.
The recent interim decision by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) to make vaping products only available to people from pharmacies with a prescription is both dangerous to health and a missed opportunity for responsible retailers, the AACS says.
“Australia’s approach of making it harder for our citizens to access products that are safer for them is unique in a global context,” Mr Rogut says.
“Convenience stores are responsible sellers of restricted products like legal tobacco and are more than capable of retailing vaping products in line with proper regulations, such as age limits, quality control standards and tamper-proof packaging. Australians deserve the choice,” Mr Rogut says.
Further information:
Jeff Rogut
Chief Executive Officer
Australasian Association of Convenience Stores
Ph: +61 467 873 789
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