Victorian Parliamentary inquiry into vaping: a missed opportunity for public health

Posted on August 29, 2024 By Colin

THE REPORT FROM THE VICTORIAN PARLIAMENTARY INQUIRY into vaping was handed down today. It was a huge disappointment for vapers, and anyone committed to evidence-based policy.

Astonishingly, the report concludes that vaping is no safer than smoking (Demaio, p27) ignoring the overwhelming empirical evidence that vaping is a far less harmful alternative for adult smokers

Instead of acknowledging vaping's potential to help smokers quit, the report fixates on exaggerated concerns about youth vaping. By doubling down on the current, ineffective regulations, the inquiry has missed an opportunity to make a meaningful positive impact.

Health effects: misinformation and misleading claims

The committee’s assertion that “there is no scientific evidence to show that e-cigarette use is healthier than smoking tobacco” is absurd and reflects a profound misunderstanding of the evidence. This conclusion appears to be based on misleading and inaccurate information presented to the committee and accepted by it, including:

'Popcorn Lung': The claim that vaping causes popcorn lung, despite no documented cases of this condition in vapers (AMA, p25) [evidence here]
EVALI: The false association of vaping with EVALI, a condition linked to contaminated black-market THC cartridges, not nicotine vaping (Dr. Looker, Chief Health Officer, p25) [evidence here]
Heart Risks: Assertions that vaping increases the risk of heart attacks based a cross-sectional study that cannot prove causation (Sharma); and that it causes heart failure based on a conference abstract that was not peer-reviewed (Bene-Alhasan). (Heart Foundation, p26) [evidence here]
Toxic Substances: The claim that vapes contain poisonous substances and heavy metals, without acknowledging that these are generally present at trace levels (VicHealth, p25) [evidence here]
Adolescent Nicotine Exposure: Unsubstantiated claims that nicotine exposure during adolescence can cause cognitive impairments and mental health issues (ANU, p25) [evidence here]
Serious harms: “E‑cigarette use can increase the risk of serious health conditions” (serious harms are extremely rare) (p19)

The "gateway myth" revisited

The report perpetuates the debunked gateway theory, claiming that vaping leads to smoking. The Committee's misleading assertion that vapers are "three times more likely to become tobacco smokers than non-users" (Demaio p11; Banks, p26) ignores the wealth of evidence showing that vaping is actually diverting young people away from smoking.

Vaping as a quit aid: a missed opportunity

Despite vaping being the most popular and effective quitting aid for adult smokers, the report fails to mention this. While the Committee acknowledges that smoking rates are declining, it refuses to recognise the role vaping plays in this trend. Instead, it portrays vaping as a threat to tobacco control, missing a critical opportunity to leverage vaping to improve public health.

Youth vaping: moral panic and misdirection

The Committee has succumbed to the moral panic surrounding youth vaping, consistently referring to adolescents as "children", referring to ‘current’ vaping instead of frequent vaping, and exaggerating the small harms. This panic is driving calls for even harsher restrictions on vaping, which will likely be ineffective and counterproductive.

Flawed regulation: ignoring the real problem

The report does acknowledge that current regulations and enforcement are failing. The rampant black market, run by violent criminals is devastating legal businesses while enforcement agencies are underfunded and overstretched. The Committee's suggested solutions—licensing tobacconists, supporting vaping cessation, and restructuring the regulatory framework—are unlikely to address the root issues.

The only way to truly combat the black market is to replace it with a regulated, legal one

Licensing and support for vapers are steps in the right direction, but history shows that increased enforcement and penalties will not stem the tide of black-market sales.

Conclusion: a victory for ideology, a loss for public health

This report represents another victory for puritanical ideologues pushing an abstinence-only agenda, at the expense of public health. The Committee has overlooked a golden opportunity to improve public health by helping adult smokers quit through vaping.

Furthermore, by failing to consider the regulation of vapes as adult consumer products with strict age verification, the report ensures that youth will continue to access vapes through the black market. A rational regulatory approach—one that balances access for adults with protections for youth—would have addressed both concerns effectively. Unfortunately, this was not considered.