Lit-up: Smokers may soon have alternative methods for quitting. Image by DucDigital via Flickr.
Melbourne’s cafes and bars could soon become tobacco-free if Australian researchers find e-cigarettes to be a healthier alternative to traditional cigarettes.
Electronic nicotine delivery systems, or e-cigarettes, are an electronic inhaler that vaporises a tobacco-less liquid solution to mimic a cigarette.
Coral Gartner, Leader of the Health and Addictive Behavior Interventions at the University of Queensland will study 1600 smokers in a trial to see if e-cigarettes are as safe as manufacturers claim.
While the e-cigarette pipe and liquid are legal to buy in Australia, the battery-run objects have been labelled as dangerous and banned in some countries.
According to Ms Gartner, the purpose of the trial is to test the safety and effectiveness of e-cigarettes for smoking cessation.
“Concerns have been expressed by Australian public health advocates that e-cigarettes may be used to undermine efforts to reduce tobacco smoking,” she said.
Speculation has emerged this week suggesting the research was government-funded in an attempt to outlaw smoking in Australia.
Ms Gartner insists grant funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council was awarded on the basis of a peer-review panel.
“To characterise this independent university research as part of a previous government’s anti-smoking reform agenda is simply incorrect,” she said.
“The previous government had commissioned a Regulatory Impact Statement unconnected to this university research to consider whether further regulation, such as bans on the sale and promotion of e-cigarettes were necessary.”
A spokesperson from the Smokers’ Rights Party is supportive of the research and wants e-cigarettes and nicotine properly legalised in Australia.
“We think e-cigarettes are a useful tool for smokers who want to either quit or reduce the health costs of smoking.”
“We oppose this idea of the government banning cigarettes and replacing them with e-cigarettes.”
According to Quit Victoria Executive, Fiona Sharkie, more smokers want to quit and smoking rates have dropped to a record low.
“The decline in the number of smokers not considering quitting at all within the next six months (31.2 per cent in 2012) was very encouraging,” she said.
“With stop-smoking medications and nicotine patches available at a subsidised price on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, there’s also more support for smokers to quit than ever before.”
She credits the product subsidies for a decline in smoking numbers in disadvantaged areas.
“As disadvantaged people smoke at much higher rates this improvement in success rates bring us one step closer to putting an end to the cycle of poverty, illness and early death brought about by the disparities in smoking rates,” Ms Sharkie said.
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