Tasmanians will continue to need a prescription to buy vapes from pharmacies if a government bill cracking down on their availability is approved by the Legislative Council.
Until October 1, e-cigarettes could only be supplied by pharmacies to people over 18-years-old with a prescription.
That requirement was dropped everywhere but Tasmania and Western Australia, after the state government promised to override the national laws through its Public Health Amendment Bill.
“To be clear, the sale of e-cigarettes, e-liquid and vaping devices to people aged under 18 remains prohibited in Tasmania,” Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing Roger Jaensch said.
“This bill is designed to curb the rising tide of youth vaping, safeguarding the health of future generations.’’
“[It] maintains the requirement to have a doctor’s prescription to access e-cigarettes as part of medically supervised cessation strategy.”
The changes were opposed by The Greens, who suggested it would overwhelm GPs and increase costs for those who reply on vaping products.
“It is a form of prohibition and overreach which tries to go that step too far in restricting access to vaping products,” Greens MP Helen Burnet said.
“It may increase the number of people smoking tobaccos with new users or switching back to tobacco and nobody wins if that is the outcome, only big tobacco.”
Labor’s health spokeswoman Ella Haddad said the opposition supported the government’s bill but raised concerns that people might turn to buying vapes illegally.
“There are already significant allegations in the community that organised crime is already alive and well in Tasmania and contributing to the sale of illegal tobacco,” she said.
“No doubt that if it hasn’t already extended to vapes, [it] most likely will do.”
Not-for-profit Tasmanian health insurer St Lukes has welcomed the legislation, saying they believe it “demonstrates a genuine commitment from our Parliament to enshrine long-term health benefits for the Tasmanian community.”
“This is a blatant and shameless exploitation of some of our most vulnerable young people by big tobacco,” St Lukes Health CEO Paul Lupo said.
“Our elected representatives have the opportunity to put preventative health first and help the community avoid another pathway to addiction, as well as negative health impacts and chronic disease.”
