Strong 68yr old Grandmother - Vaping Consumer
- Kim
- Jun 1
- 2 min read
I am 68 years of age. I have been vaping for 5 years now. I smoked cigarettes for over 50 years. As my health was really beginning to suffer, i.e. constant cough, shortness of breath, plus going through recovery from Breast Cancer, I decided to look into vaping. I had tried every known product available to try quitting smoking, nothing worked.
After doing an awful lot of reading, and research, talking to our registered vape retailers, I decided to buy myself a vape, some vape juice, and some nicotine from overseas. I started off vaping 12mg of nicotine, but reduced that to 3mg a few years ago. Almost immediately, my cough disappeared, I could play with my granddaughter and dog, without becoming breathless. While smoking I had felt that my time on this earth was seriously being limited, but now I am as strong as I have ever been.
I have endured the current prescription-only model for the last few years, but it has been
impossible to find a doctor who is willing or able to give me a prescription for nicotine. I have
had to resort to getting one off the internet. Which is expensive. I have a Health Care card, but cannot use it for this service. There are no chemists in my area, that I am aware of that could fill my prescription anyway. Most of them know nothing about it.
I believe that vape products should be a consumer product, just like cigarettes. I don’t see
the logic in why it should be classed as a therapeutic product. I have never used a disposable vape, and never will. I don’t understand why people like myself, more mature, etc, should be forced into this situation. I am certainly old and wise enough to make my own decisions. As I did when I gave up cigarettes. And I can certainly say that I like to vape berry flavours. The thought of vaping a tobacco flavour turns my blood cold. I don’t want to vape tobacco, or mint flavours. I want to have a choice, make my own decisions.
I am afraid, yes, afraid that the current model will become too hard, and I will fall back to
smoking. The urge never goes away completely. I don’t want that to happen, I am afraid for my health if this were to happen.
Submission To Therapeutic Goods and Other Legislation Amendment (Vaping Reforms) Bill 2024 Inquiry
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