There is no convincing evidence that electronic cigarettes assist patients to quit and vaping may lead non-smokers to take up tobacco smoking , the NHMRC has warned.
The agency released its updated national advice on Thursday, warning that younger people were using e-cigarettes or vapes more frequently, with one-in five people aged 18-24 who had never smoked having tried vaping.
Most vapers were using the devices recreationally and only one-in-three of those who had used e-cigarettes had done so to help quit smoking, the report said.
When first using e-cigarettes, 64.5% of those aged 14–17 and 39% of young adults aged 18–24 were never smokers.
Among those who had tried them, frequency of use also increased, with more people using them at least monthly (from 10.3% in 2016 to 17.9% in 2019), weekly (from 2.9% in 2016 to 5.1% in 2019) and daily (from 5.8% in 2016 and 9.4% in 2019).
Commonwealth chief medical officer Professor Paul Kelly said reducing the risks posed by e-cigarettes was becoming a national priority.
“In fact, one of our colleagues has said recently that e-cigarettes are the next big health issue after COVID, and I think that’s a really important statement to take on board,” he told reporters in Canberra.
“People who take up e-cigarettes are more likely to start to continue on with smoking for the rest of their lives. And we know the devastation that has had in Australia over many decades.”
“Nicotine is a very addictive drug, and we need to make our efforts very strong with our young people to protect them from that lifelong issue.”
After the NHMRC statement on #ecigarette harms the U.S. FDA announced that a leading e-cigarette brand must remove all products from the market. E-cigarettes are dangerous and the Aus Gov should take swift action to protect the community @Mark_Butler_MP @AlboMP
— Lung Foundation Australia (@Lungfoundation) June 24, 2022
The evidence summary, updated for the first time since 2017, also found the number of e-cigarette-related calls to Australian poisons information centres had doubled between 2020 and 2021.