September 20, 2018: The Australasian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS) has welcomed the Health Minister’s decision to commission further research into e-cigarettes to help Australians quit smoking traditional tobacco, as these products have been proven to do overseas.
AACS CEO Jeff Rogut has consistently called for government to develop a legal framework for the sale and use of e-cigarettes to provide people a much safer alternative.
“It is encouraging to see the draconian position of a blanket ban, which fails to recognise the potential health benefits of these products, being reconsidered,” Mr Rogut says.
“We’re being left behind as a nation and it’s everyday Australians who smoke, and who want to quit, whose lives are being put a at risk.
“We’re hopeful this new research takes an unbiased approach and is based on international case studies where the evidence for the positive health impacts of vaping is both clear and compelling.”
The AACS supports Australians’ right to choose and believes ready access to more, not fewer, options for people looking to quit smoking traditional tobacco is necessary.
Legal tobacco, on average, accounts for approximately 38% of a typical convenience store’s sales. As the number of smokers naturally declines, e-cigarettes have the potential to be a profitable category for these small businesses.
The AACS State of the Industry Report 2017 highlights the potential for convenience stores to be a destination for e-cigarettes and other quit-smoking products, given the $105 million growth in tobacco sales the channel experienced over the course of last year.
A Public Health England study from 2015 shows e-cigarettes are around 95% safer than conventional cigarettes. New Zealand recently made e-cigarettes legally available and AACS research shows most Australians support a similar approach.
According to AACS research, the most extensive ever undertaken on the topic of e-cigarettes in Australia, 54% of Australians view the legalisation of e-cigarettes as a potential vote-influencing or even vote-changing issue. It shows that 73% of Australians would support the legalisation of e-cigarettes to help smokers quit.
The AACS has identified several key considerations in the legalisation of e-cigarettes, 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.
“E-cigarettes and other stop smoking devices can deliver real benefits to people’s health so we need a proper framework for their legal sale as a matter of urgency. The longer we wait, the greater the risk that black market operators will fill the gap with products of inferior quality that don’t meet compliance standards, as they have succeeded in doing where illicit tobacco is concerned,” Mr Rogut says.
A breakdown of the key AACS research findings into e-cigarettes is included overleaf.
Further information: Media enquiries:
Jeff Rogut
Chief Executive Officer
Australasian Association of Convenience Stores
Ph: +61 467 873 789
Stephen Naylor
Wise McBaron Communication
Ph: +61 (2) 9279 4770
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