AACS: FRAMEWORK FOR E-CIGARETTE SALES CAN BE DELAYED NO LONGER

March 9, 2016: The Australasian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS) has joined the New Nicotine Alliance and other health experts in calling on Government to lift the ban on e-cigarettes without delay, so the potential for these products to help smokers kick the habit can be realised.
The AACS has previously called on Governments around the country to take action and make e-cigarettes more readily available for responsible sale – so that those looking to quit smoking have this option.
But now health experts are speaking up too. New Nicotine Alliance president Attila Danko today labelled draconian laws banning e-cigarettes as “monstrous”. Addressing a Senate inquiry in Sydney, Dr Danko suggested smoking could become obsolete if laws banning e-cigarettes were overturned.
International studies back up the potential role e-cigarettes can play in tackling smoking. The August 2015 study entitled Electronic cigarettes: A report commissioned by Public Health England states that e-cigarettes are around 95% safer than smoked tobacco.
AACS CEO Jeff Rogut has emphasised the urgent need for Government to develop a framework for the legal sale of e-cigarettes.
“There is international research to show that e-cigarettes represent a safer alternative to smoking and that they can help some people in their efforts to quit. If Government is serious about reducing smoking among the population, they owe it to these people to conveniently provide a better alternative,” Mr Rogut said.
“Kneejerk reactions to ban e-cigarettes represent a huge missed opportunity. We should be making it easier – not harder – for people to access products that might help them quit.
“Convenience stores are proven responsible retailers and have the potential role to play at the coal face, conveniently providing adult consumers a healthier, safer choice. The longer the issue is bogged down in debate, the less support we are providing people who smoke,” Mr Rogut said.
Mr Rogut said the time is right to set a framework in place for the legal sale of e-cigarettes, before the black market fills the gap – as it has done so effectively in the market for traditional tobacco products.
“The sharp rise in the illicit market for tobacco, and the disastrous health and economic implications of the growth of this market, reinforces the importance of getting the framework for the responsible sale of e-cigarettes right,” Mr Rogut said.
“Illicit e-cigarettes, like illicit tobacco, are by their very nature non-compliant with any mandatory quality, safety or packaging requirements. Yet they are already available for sale – and not through responsible, trained retailers either.
“Where gaps in the legal market exist, criminals will seek to exploit those gaps, so it’s essential that we develop the proper framework to govern the responsible sale of e-cigarettes now.
“As proven by their responsible sale of restricted products like lottery tickets and tobacco, convenience stores are more than capable of responsibly selling these products,” he said.
The AACS supports restrictions on the sale of e-cigarettes to minors, ensuring the products are child tamper proof, contain an ingredients list and meet minimum safety and quality standards.
Mr Rogut said e-cigarettes could provide real economic opportunities for small businesses like convenience stores in their efforts to compete against the major chains. E-cigarette products are suited to the convenience store model and have significant potential to drive revenue growth.
In the US, convenience industry analysts predict the sale of e-cigarettes will soon surpass traditional cigarette sales. Research by Wells Fargo indicates US retail sales of electronic smoking devices could top the $10 billion mark by 2018 due to ongoing interest by both manufacturers and consumers.
But for Australians to capitalise on the potential health benefits, it will be essential for Government to avoid subjecting e-cigarettes to the same tax treatment as other restricted product categories like tobacco and pharmacy products.
“In developing a framework for the sale of e-cigarettes, we cannot afford to view these products as just another source of tax revenue. If e-cigarettes are too heavily taxed it may discourage or prevent people from investigating this solution,” Mr Rogut said.
“E-cigarettes are a potential solution to reduce the incidence of smoking. We need to give them a chance to succeed,” he added.

Further information:
Jeff Rogut
Chief Executive Officer
Australasian Association of Convenience Stores
Ph: +61 467 873 789
Media enquiries:
Stephen Naylor
Wise McBaron Communication
Ph: +61 (2) 9279 4770