“Follow the example of New-Zeland”
The Pedestrian qualified “historic” the “groundbreaking event ” of this day. The protest was leaded by important figures of the defense of vaping rights in Australia. Fiona Patten from the Australian Sex Party, Prof Colin Mendelsohn and Dr Attila Danko took the floor in front of the Victoria State building.
Fiona Patten referred to the law that bans sales of e-cigarettes to kid and declared that protecting kids was one thing but “protecting adults by allowing them to vape” was also a priority.
@FionaPattenMLC addressing the Save #Vaping Rally today. Photo credit to Kelvin Cam pic.twitter.com/vkMWwiakqL
— NNAlliance AU (@NNAllianceAU) August 16, 2016
Professor Colin Mendelsohn, who signed an article in the Sydney Morning Herald the day before, declared that Australia should follow the example of New-Zealand and lift bans on vaping products. Used as an aid in smoking cessation, the e-cigarette works much better than other methods
Assoc Prof & Dr. Colin Mendelsohn addressing the Save #Vaping Rally today at Vic Parliament. Photo credit Kelvin Cam pic.twitter.com/0C9lsAlCNt
— NNAlliance AU (@NNAllianceAU) August 16, 2016
The vapers agreed with Paul McNamara, a vape shop owner, for whom prohibiting retailers to present their products is like preventing smokers from accessing to one of the best solutions against smoking.
Dr Attila Danko spoke with his heart, as he did at the GFN in 2015. He asked the crowd to lift hand if they were using tobacco industry products and, as expected, no hand popped up.
Our Tassie Angels Judith & Margy front & centre listening to Attila. Their lives were saved by switching to #vaping pic.twitter.com/kOZoK2gDe8
— NNAlliance AU (@NNAllianceAU) August 16, 2016
The protest organized as people were showing up clear messages: “vapour is not smoke”, “vaping saves lives”, “bullied for smoking, bullied for quitting”, “vaping is 95% safer than smoking”.
Australia is also the land of Simon Chapman, emeritus professor at the University of Sydney who is a famous opponent to vaping. He recognizes that vaping is probably less dangerous than smoking but recalls that long-term effects are unknown and that Big Tobacco companies are taking up the market with the same methods as before.
But for other experts, e-cigarette bans are responsible for the arrival of Big Tobacco in this sector.
Vapers hold breath
The Therapeutic Goods Australia taht is linked to the Health Department will review the proposal to amend the Poison Standards Nicotine and a final decision is expected in March 2017. This request specifies that e-liquids with a strength lower than 36 mg/ml shouldn’t be considered dangerous poisons in the Australian law.
Such a change into the poisonous status of Nicotine is expected by Australian people who are seeking a healthier alternative to smoking. Further, this would grant them access to a local market. As a reminder, the vapers looking for nicotine e-liquids are currently obliged to purchase products on the foreign market since their are not legal on the territory. Although a certain flexibility allows vapers to purchase several nicotine e-liquid bottles at a time, the law prevents them from doing stocks. The system, as it currently appears, prevents part of the population from accessing to nicotine vaping products. By allowing nicotine, the Australian government would give the same rights to each citizen, which in not actually the case.
