Rodney Stevens
Despite new laws regarding Vapes or E-cigarettes being introduced last year to protect the health of the community, especially people as young as primary school aged children who have been reportedly Vaping, more and more people are taking up this dangerous habit.
E-cigarettes, or Vapes, are battery-operated devices that deliver an aerosol by heating a liquid that users breathe in.
Vapes can come in a variety of products also known as electronic cigarettes, e-cigs, electronic nicotine delivery systems, electronic non-nicotine delivery systems, alternative nicotine delivery systems, nicotine vaping products, personal vaporisers, e-hookahs, and vape pens.
The Australian Government changed the laws relating to vapes on July 1, 2024, so that all vapes and vaping products, regardless of whether they contain nicotine or not, can only be sold in a pharmacy for the purpose of helping people quit smoking or manage nicotine dependence.
In NSW it is illegal for tobacconists, vape shops, and convenience store retailers to sell any type of vaping good, regardless of its nicotine content.
Vapes for people aged under 18 and/or with a nicotine concentration of more than 20 mg/mL require a prescription from a medical or nurse practitioner and can only be purchased from a pharmacy.
The danger of illegal Vapes include; they may not always list the ingredients of the liquids, they contain a range of chemicals that have not been tested for safety, including those chemicals that add flavour, they may contain nicotine even if they are labelled ‘nicotine free’, and they can look like cigarettes, cigars, pipes, pens, or even USB memory sticks.
Scientists and public health experts do not consider Vapes to be safe, as all e-cigarettes, even ones that don’t contain nicotine, can contain dangerous substances in the liquids and the aerosol, with some liquids containing more than 200 chemicals including arsenic.
Cancer causing agents found in Vape liquids include formaldehyde – used in industrial glues and preserving corpses; acetone – used in nail polish remover; acetaldehyde – used in chemicals; perfumes; and plastics; acrolein – used in weedkiller plus heavy metals like nickel, tin, and lead.
Some Vape liquids can also contain propylene glycol – a solvent used in smoke machines, polyester compounds, anti-freeze – used in vehicle coolant, and vegetable glycerin – a liquid from vegetable fat.
Health harms associated with vape use include nicotine addiction, nicotine poisoning, throat irritation, breathlessness, cough, dizziness, headaches, nausea and lung damage.
Other risks also exist as rechargeable vapes can also explode causing serious burns and trauma.
In rare cases, vaping may cause a life-threatening lung condition known as E-cigarette or Vaping Associated Lung Injury (EVALI).
Young children can die from even very small amounts of nicotine, so parents must remain vigilant and not leave their Vaping devices around, or Vape around children, as children can easily activate Vapes.
If you think a child has been exposed to, has inhaled, swallowed, or spilled Vape liquid on their skin, call the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26.