Vapes may be foiling Australia's successful anti-smoking campaigns and doctors are up in arms about it.
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The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners is backing the call for a crackdown on vapes following new recommendations by the Therapeutic Goods Administration.
RACGP president Nicole Higgins said users were more likely to quit if they reached out to their GPs instead of transitioning to vaping.
"There's no benefit to vaping apart from a brief stop to your cravings," she said.
"If you are ready to take back control from vaping or smoking, your GP ... is trained in strategies that can help you and support you when it's tough, without judgment."
Stronger border controls, pharmaceutical-like packaging with health warnings and stricter regulation of products are some of the TGA recommendations endorsed by the RACGP.
Under Australian laws, it is illegal to buy, possess or use nicotine for vaping without a doctor's prescription. Only pharmacies can sell e-cigarettes or e-liquids that contain nicotine.
But many users obtain vapes illegally sold from tobacco stores, with research showing most use is not for smoking cessation.
The RACGP is also urging the government to go further than the TGA recommendations, citing concerns about increasing use among children.
While 53 per cent of teens who have used a vape knew it contained nicotine, testing done by TGA suggest young users may be unknowingly consuming addictive chemicals.
Out of 314 products, testing found 264 vapes contained nicotine.
Dr Higgins fears children will find it even more challenging to quit nicotine than adult users, given their brains are still developing.
"Cynical" marketing like flavoured vapes with packaging similar to children's cereal is one of the many ways they are being targeted by manufacturers, she added.
"This has to stop." Dr Higgins said.
"Vapes must be sold in plain, unappealing packaging, the contents must match the label and strong import controls must be put in place and enforced."
Federal Health Minister Mark Butler also raised concerns around youth vaping use earlier this week.
Mr Butler has rejected legalising access to nicotine vapes following a push by the Nationals.
The Australian Medical Association and Cancer Council Victoria have also lobbied for stricter vaping regulation this week.
Australian Associated Press
