68yr Old Senior Citizen, Cancer Survivor, Ex-smoker Calls For Responsible & Sensible Approach – Vaping Consumer

A FIRST HAND EXPERIENCE WITH THE NEW VAPING REGULATIONS

I am a senior citizen who worked until I was 68 years old and I do not receive a pension or social security. I rarely go to shops and order almost everything online. I was a smoker for over 50 years. I had tried to quit a few times but had given up on the idea of quitting and presumed I would smoke until I died. A cancer diagnosis 18 months ago made me rethink.

I obtained a prescription online from Quit Clinics and ordered a vape device and pods from a reputable supplier. I have not touched a cigarette since and am in remission from cancer with checks every three months which so far have been clear. I am also free from coughing and worsening lung problems associated with smoking. However the new regulations are not working. I have had great difficulty accessing the products that work for me, and the cost has risen substantially. I am worried I may go back to smoking.

I now find with the new regulations around vaping that I will need another prescription as most online chemists who may sell vaping products and vape pods do not allow for upload of my existing prescription. The chemists that do seem to sell vaping products online ask you to apply for a prescription for a cost, out of pocket, before browsing the products they sell.

My previous source for vape pods was UK based and can no longer supply directly to Australian individuals. Quit Clinics, who provided my original prescriptions, do have a small range of vape pods available however they are double the price that I was paying previously even after adding shipping and GST. Are there any price control or checks in place to determine that the limited pharmaceutical suppliers are not making extraordinary profits from the now very limited market available for vaping products?

I have a limited supply of vape pods left that were ordered before the new laws that came into effect on 1 March 2024. I have actively been searching for a reputable supply online for the past five weeks and cannot locate one. It would be much easier to go back to buying cigarettes. I’m sure there are many other vapers who find themselves in my situation. The new regulations DO NOT WORK. I find it frustrating that as a responsible adult I can order tobacco and alcohol online if I choose but not vaping products. It makes no sense.

Please look at a sensible and responsible approach in a regulated market and allow adults who choose to vape the right to do so. Vapes should be available from licensed retail outlets with strict age verification, like cigarettes.

Submission To Therapeutic Goods and Other Legislation Amendment (Vaping Reforms) Bill 2024 Inquiry

Sub 179 - Name Withheld.pdf

Download PDF • 78KB

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