Great news, the Australian Parliament’s Health, Aged Care and Sport Committee has commenced an Inquiry into the Use of Electronic Cigarettes and Personal Vaporisers in Australia. Currently the regulations around vaping in Australia is a little confusing, and despite this many Australian smokers are making the switch to e-cigs. The committee, chaired by, Mr Trent Zimmerman MP, will investigate the health impacts of e-cigarettes and personal vaporisers, it will also investigate the marketing and use of e-cigarettes for use as an aid to help smokers quite their smoking habit. The committee will also consider what shape the appropriate regulatory framework for these vaping products should be in Australia.

E-cigarettes are legal in most major developed nations around the world including the UK, US, European Union and New Zealand who is already on the path to achieving its goal to be a smoke free nation by 2025 by announcing on 29 March 2017 that it will legalise nicotine e-cigarettes as consumer products. Canada is also in the process of regulating nicotine vaping products.

The Committee is inviting any and all interested individuals including the public and organisations to provide a submission by Thursday, 6 July 2017.

We encourage all vapers to share their stories, even if you are time poor, a few sentences submitted here can help make a difference. If you need help with your submission consider noting down how long you had been smoking, how much you smoked, when you made the switch to e-cigs and why you decided to do so. Perhaps you had made several or many attempts to quit smoking through methods such as patches, gums or prescription medications. What strength e-liquid helped you make the switch from smoking and what do you think is important when choosing products.

You can also read submissions here.

Submitting your story will help to give all Australian smokers and vapers a voice and an opportunity to positively influence public health policy.