Page 1119 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 5 April 2016
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booming market both here and overseas and with each brand often having multiple individual parts, there is some logic in the question as to whether there could be a safe and supervised shopfront for their display. However, as the explanatory statement states, for this reason the definition of a “smoking product” must also include personal vaporiser-related products, as well as personal vaporisers themselves. Otherwise a retailer could lawfully sell all the components of a personal vaporiser to an underage person even though it would be unlawful to sell an already assembled personal vaporiser. On balance, noting the majority of sales are from overseas businesses, I understand why the minister has taken this approach to provide certainty to retailers and the community alike.
This is a very interesting area. It is certainly one where we will see the debate on these matters continue and more detail emerge on the scientific analysis of these products. But in light of the various considerations and the details explained in the bill and the explanatory statement, I will be supporting this bill today.
MR HINDER (Ginninderra) (3.55): I rise to support the Assistant Minister for Health in commending the Smoke-Free Legislation Amendment Bill 2016. The uptake and use of personal vaporisers, including the most common device referred to by most as e-cigarettes, is an evolving frontier in public health protection. There is currently preliminary evidence suggesting potential exposure to harmful substances and uncertainty about the possible long-term health effects of these devices. This bill aims to protect the health of the community and has been written in accordance with the current World Health Organisation and National Health and Medical Research Council recommendations.
As you no doubt know, Madam Assistant Speaker, Australia is party to the World Health Organisation’s framework convention on tobacco control. With respect to electronic cigarettes, Australia has committed to achieving the following objectives: prevent initiation, with special attention to youth and vulnerable groups; minimise potential health risks from emissions; prevent the dissemination of unproven health claims; and protect regulation from commercial interests. Through the measures proposed in this bill to restrict sales of personal vaporisers to persons over 18, regulate promotion and sale, and to prohibit use in legislated smoke-free areas, the ACT government can fulfil its international and ethical obligations.
In 2014 over $US3 billion was spent globally on personal vaporisers. It is expected that this figure will rise by a factor of 17 by 2030. It can be expected that the use of personal vaporisers will become increasingly prevalent, and recent studies estimated that 8.4 per cent of the population of New South Wales had already tried an e-cigarette in 2015.
In the interests of public health, the ACT government should act on the issue now, as other Australian jurisdictions have done. The long-term health effects of personal vaporisers are currently unknown. There has been limited independent testing of devices, with results and safety varying significantly between brands. Recent testing conducted by the ACCC showed the vapour emitted by 14 different personal vaporisers purchased in Australia, including some in the ACT, contained a variety of chemicals known to be toxic.
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