A few people hassled me to drop these threads up here... I've been nagging a few bodies in Australia and posting the results up on Aussie Vapers.
Heres the to and fro with the National Drug Strategy, responded to by tobacco Control Australia
Blergh Original Letter.
To
nationaldrugstrategy@health.gov.au
09/05/2011 cc
01:44 PM
Subject
Dear Sirs / Ma'ams,
I am writing to you with regards to The National Drug Strategy 2010-2015 specifically the sub topic of Harm Reduction, as listed on page 8 of the strategy "Harm reduction means strategies and actions that primarily reduce the adverse health, social and economic consequences of the use of drugs"
A relatively new development in the world of smoking alternatives are electronic cigarettes. A product which has not received overly much attention in this country. However around the world research is finding that electronic cigarettes or "e-cigs" are far less damaging than traditional tobacco cigarettes and are anecdotally proving to assist smokers who seek an alternative to smoking cigarettes.
Firstly let me state that I benefit in no way from the sales of electronic cigarettes or their associated paraphenalia. I am however an ex smoker who has unsuccesfully used traditional Nicotine Replacement Therapy products and therapies in the past in an effort to Quit Smoking. I am now however one of an emerging group that has successfully used Electronic Cigarettes to rid myself of a dependency and daily habit of smoking tobacco.
I am fully aware of the fact that I am still addicted to the substance that is nicotine however if the research around the world is anything to go by, not to mention my own anecdotal evidence of how i feel scince ceasing to use Tobacco Cigarettes, I have substantially reduced my risk of contracting a terminal disease and enhanced my Quality of life.
While using an electronic cigarette may not be as good for my health as not using a product at all it is substantially less detrimental to my health than the alternative of smoking tobacco. The current state of play in this country with laws around the retailing of nicotine liquid mean that whilst i can purchase electronic cigarettes and non-nicotine liquid locally, i must import my nicotine from overseas. Ergo the product is not neccessarily easily available.
The National Drug Strategy itself states that Tobacco is one of the leading causes of disease and that smoking rates are still unacceptably high. The National Drug Strategy also states that . However I am having much difficulty finding any sort of research in this country into this new and if yet unproven, certainly promising alternative.
In reading through the National Tobacco Strategy 2004-2009, section 3.3 lists several points:
2. to encourage and assist as many smokers as possible to quit as soon as possible
3. to eliminate harmful exposure to tobacco smoke among non-smokers
4. where feasible, to reduce harm associated with continuing use of, and dependence on,
tobacco and nicotine.
Which could potentially be assisted by Electronic Cigarettes, especially in relation to a less harmful alternative. Atmittedly these devices are a new product which requires further evaluation. However the response in this country so far seems to be to ignore them or knee jerk react to the fact that in some forms they contain nicotine and start seizing them (Queensland Health).
In the United States, these products are available as Unregulated Tobacco products, similarly in the UK. In New Zealand some products have been independantly tested and are available through pharmacies. Other products can be imported. Yet here, people obtain access to the products locally or Internationally and nicotine through relatively grey areas or gaps in legislation.
I am writing to you in the hope that these products may attract proper attention and be properly evaluated by local agencies. Ultimately if the initial research indications hold true that a far less harmful relatively successful product is at the very least available to smokers. In the best case a new cheap form of Nicotine Replacement Therapy helps may smokers to actually cease smoking tobacco alltogether.
Rather than take my word for any of the above statements below is some research from Boston University which covers several aspects of e-cigs. It is by no means all of the research that is available:
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/centers-institutes/population-development/files/article.jphp.pdf
"TSNAs have been detected in two studies at trace levels.5,6 The maximum level of total TSNAs reported was 8.2 ng/g.6 This compares with a similar level of 8.0 ng in a nicotine patch, and it is orders of magnitude lower than TSNA levels in regular cigarettes"
"Although the existing research does not warrant a conclusion that electronic cigarettes are safe in absolute terms and further clinical studies are needed to comprehensively assess the safety of electronic cigarettes, a preponderance of the available evidence shows them to be much safer than tobacco cigarettes and comparable in toxicity to conventional nicotine replacement products."
"Although more research is needed before we will know how effective electronic cigarettes are at achieving smoking abstinence,there is now sufficient evidence to conclude that these products are at least capable of suppressing the urge to smoke"
Regards
Heres the to and fro with the National Drug Strategy, responded to by tobacco Control Australia
Blergh Original Letter.
To
nationaldrugstrategy@health.gov.au
09/05/2011 cc
01:44 PM
Subject
Dear Sirs / Ma'ams,
I am writing to you with regards to The National Drug Strategy 2010-2015 specifically the sub topic of Harm Reduction, as listed on page 8 of the strategy "Harm reduction means strategies and actions that primarily reduce the adverse health, social and economic consequences of the use of drugs"
A relatively new development in the world of smoking alternatives are electronic cigarettes. A product which has not received overly much attention in this country. However around the world research is finding that electronic cigarettes or "e-cigs" are far less damaging than traditional tobacco cigarettes and are anecdotally proving to assist smokers who seek an alternative to smoking cigarettes.
Firstly let me state that I benefit in no way from the sales of electronic cigarettes or their associated paraphenalia. I am however an ex smoker who has unsuccesfully used traditional Nicotine Replacement Therapy products and therapies in the past in an effort to Quit Smoking. I am now however one of an emerging group that has successfully used Electronic Cigarettes to rid myself of a dependency and daily habit of smoking tobacco.
I am fully aware of the fact that I am still addicted to the substance that is nicotine however if the research around the world is anything to go by, not to mention my own anecdotal evidence of how i feel scince ceasing to use Tobacco Cigarettes, I have substantially reduced my risk of contracting a terminal disease and enhanced my Quality of life.
While using an electronic cigarette may not be as good for my health as not using a product at all it is substantially less detrimental to my health than the alternative of smoking tobacco. The current state of play in this country with laws around the retailing of nicotine liquid mean that whilst i can purchase electronic cigarettes and non-nicotine liquid locally, i must import my nicotine from overseas. Ergo the product is not neccessarily easily available.
The National Drug Strategy itself states that Tobacco is one of the leading causes of disease and that smoking rates are still unacceptably high. The National Drug Strategy also states that . However I am having much difficulty finding any sort of research in this country into this new and if yet unproven, certainly promising alternative.
In reading through the National Tobacco Strategy 2004-2009, section 3.3 lists several points:
2. to encourage and assist as many smokers as possible to quit as soon as possible
3. to eliminate harmful exposure to tobacco smoke among non-smokers
4. where feasible, to reduce harm associated with continuing use of, and dependence on,
tobacco and nicotine.
Which could potentially be assisted by Electronic Cigarettes, especially in relation to a less harmful alternative. Atmittedly these devices are a new product which requires further evaluation. However the response in this country so far seems to be to ignore them or knee jerk react to the fact that in some forms they contain nicotine and start seizing them (Queensland Health).
In the United States, these products are available as Unregulated Tobacco products, similarly in the UK. In New Zealand some products have been independantly tested and are available through pharmacies. Other products can be imported. Yet here, people obtain access to the products locally or Internationally and nicotine through relatively grey areas or gaps in legislation.
I am writing to you in the hope that these products may attract proper attention and be properly evaluated by local agencies. Ultimately if the initial research indications hold true that a far less harmful relatively successful product is at the very least available to smokers. In the best case a new cheap form of Nicotine Replacement Therapy helps may smokers to actually cease smoking tobacco alltogether.
Rather than take my word for any of the above statements below is some research from Boston University which covers several aspects of e-cigs. It is by no means all of the research that is available:
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/centers-institutes/population-development/files/article.jphp.pdf
"TSNAs have been detected in two studies at trace levels.5,6 The maximum level of total TSNAs reported was 8.2 ng/g.6 This compares with a similar level of 8.0 ng in a nicotine patch, and it is orders of magnitude lower than TSNA levels in regular cigarettes"
"Although the existing research does not warrant a conclusion that electronic cigarettes are safe in absolute terms and further clinical studies are needed to comprehensively assess the safety of electronic cigarettes, a preponderance of the available evidence shows them to be much safer than tobacco cigarettes and comparable in toxicity to conventional nicotine replacement products."
"Although more research is needed before we will know how effective electronic cigarettes are at achieving smoking abstinence,there is now sufficient evidence to conclude that these products are at least capable of suppressing the urge to smoke"
Regards
