"As a pharmacist who's trained in nicotine addiction and smoking cessation and who has spent much of my working life working in acute adult mental health inpatient units, I understand the risks associated with vaping"

But do you really? 

Timeline:

26 March 2024: 

"Substantial consultation was undertaken on these policy proposals with the public health sector, which has provided unequivocal support to urgently and comprehensively addressing the impact of vaping across Australia."

WAS IT REALLY? 

​

"I am pleased to speak in support of the Therapeutic Goods and Other Legislation Amendment (Vaping Reforms) Bill 2024 as assistant health minister and also on behalf of the people of my community on the Central Coast of New South Wales."

More here >>

​

Emma Mc Bride Is Wrong, Here's Why:

​

Emma McBride MP’s speech on vaping is misleading, alarmist, and not supported by the best available scientific evidence. Below is a fact-based rebuttal of her key claims.

​

​

1. Vaping is Not a "Public Health Menace"—It’s a Harm Reduction Tool

​

McBride characterizes vaping as a major public health threat, ignoring its proven benefits in helping smokers quit:

​

• Public health agencies support vaping as a smoking cessation tool. The UK’s NHS, Public Health England, and Cancer Research UK recognize vaping as one of the most effective quitting aids and significantly less harmful than smoking​​.

• Smoking is the real public health menace. Smoking kills 20,500 Australians each year—vaping does not. Public health policies should focus on eliminating combustible tobacco, not restricting safer alternatives​.

• The Royal College of Physicians states that vaping should be widely promoted to smokers. Their report concludes that vaping is at least 95% less harmful than smoking and should be encouraged for smokers​.

​

Fact: Vaping is a key part of tobacco harm reduction, and banning it will only lead to more smoking-related deaths​.

​

2. The "Youth Vaping Epidemic" is Overstated

​

McBride cites alarming statistics about youth vaping, but the data does not support claims of a "new generation of nicotine addicts":

​

• Youth smoking rates have reached record lows. If vaping were a gateway to smoking, we would expect to see smoking rates increase, but the opposite is true—youth smoking rates have been plummeting in countries where vaping is widely available​.

• Most youth experimentation does not lead to regular use. The UK's Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) found that most youth who try vaping do so experimentally and do not become regular users​.

• The "gateway theory" is not supported by evidence. The Royal College of Physicians and Public Health England confirm that vaping does not lead non-smokers to start smoking​.

​

Fact: The majority of youth who vape are already smokers, and vaping helps divert them away from deadly combustible tobacco​.

​

3. There is No Evidence That Vaping Causes Cancer or Severe Health Issues

​

McBride states that vaping is linked to cancer, respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, and mental health problems. This is misleading and not supported by current evidence:

​

• There is no evidence linking vaping to cancer. Cancer Research UK & the Cancer Council CEO states that there is no good evidence that vaping causes cancer, as it does not involve tobacco combustion​.

• Vaping does not contain the same harmful toxins as smoking. Unlike cigarette smoke, vape aerosol does not contain tar, carbon monoxide, or the thousands of harmful chemicals from combustion​.

• "Chemicals in vapes" scare tactics are misleading. Many of the chemicals McBride mentions (e.g., found in nail polish remover or weedkiller) are also found in everyday foods and medicines in trace amounts. The presence of chemicals does not automatically mean harm—dosage and exposure matter​.

​

Fact: While long-term effects are still being studied, current evidence shows that vaping is far less harmful than smoking and does not cause the diseases associated with cigarette use​.

​

4. Banning Vapes Will Fuel the Black Market

​

McBride supports strict bans on non-therapeutic vapes, but this policy has already failed in Australia:

• Australia’s prescription-only model has fueled a booming black market. Illicit vape sales have skyrocketed, with unregulated products being sold to minors without age verification​.

• Prohibition doesn’t stop access—it removes regulation. Youth can still access unregulated, unsafe vapes through criminal networks, making the situation more dangerous​.

• Countries with regulated vaping markets have better public health outcomes. The UK, New Zealand, and Canada allow regulated adult sales, reducing smoking rates while preventing youth access​.

​

Fact: Banning legal vapes will only push people toward illicit, unregulated products, increasing public health risks rather than reducing them​.

​

5. Nicotine is Not the Cause of Smoking-Related Disease

​

McBride implies that nicotine itself is dangerous, but this is a misrepresentation of the science:

• Nicotine is not responsible for smoking-related diseases. The main harm from smoking comes from tar, carbon monoxide, and other combustion byproducts, not nicotine​.

• Nicotine has been used safely in medications for decades. Nicotine replacement therapies (NRTs), such as patches and gum, are widely recommended for smoking cessation and pose no significant health risks​.

• Nicotine does not cause mental health problems. In fact, some studies suggest that nicotine may help improve cognitive function and mental health in certain cases​.

​

Fact: The focus should be on eliminating combustible tobacco, not nicotine itself, which can be used safely in reduced-risk products like vapes​.

​

6. Australia’s Approach is Out of Step with Global Best Practices

​

McBride claims that Australia is leading the world in vaping reform, but in reality, it is falling behind:

​

• The UK, New Zealand, and Canada all support vaping as a harm reduction tool. These countries allow regulated retail sales while enforcing strict age verification and product standards​.

• Australia’s prohibitionist approach has been widely criticized by harm reduction experts. Leading public health specialists, including Dr. Colin Mendelsohn, argue that Australia’s policy is driven by ideology, not science​.

• The World Health Organization recognizes tobacco harm reduction as a legitimate strategy. Banning vaping goes against the principles of harm reduction endorsed by global public health bodies​.

​

Fact: Australia’s extreme anti-vaping stance is out of line with evidence-based policies used in other developed nations that are successfully reducing smoking rates​.

​

Emma McBride MP’s speech on vaping is riddled with misinformation and ignores key evidence from leading public health experts.

The reality is:

✅ Vaping is significantly less harmful than smoking and helps people quit​.
✅ The "youth vaping epidemic" is exaggerated—most youth vapers were already smokers​.
✅ There is no strong evidence that vaping causes cancer or major health issues​.
✅ Banning legal vapes fuels the black market, making youth access worse​.
✅ Nicotine itself is not the cause of smoking-related disease—combustion is​.
✅ Australia’s restrictive policies are failing, while other countries are successfully reducing smoking through harm reduction​.

​

Policy Recommendation:

Instead of prohibition, Australia should adopt a regulated consumer model like the UK and New Zealand, which includes:

• Licensed vape retailers with strict age verification.

• Strict safety and ingredient regulations for vaping products.

• Public education campaigns to clarify the differences between smoking and vaping.

• A separate route for medical vapes for those who prefer a prescription model.

​

This balanced approach would help smokers quit, reduce smoking-related diseases, and protect public health. Prohibition has failed—Australia needs evidence-based regulation, not scare tactics.

​

​

​