Make vapes prescription-only to tackle ‘epidemic’, ministers urged

Scottish ministers are being urged to copy Australia and make e-cigarettes prescription only in a bid to tackle a new “epidemic of vaping” among young people.

Health campaigners at Ash Scotland made the plea amid growing concern over youngsters vaping.

It has now urged the Scottish Government to “strongly consider following Australia’s precautionary approach to e-cigarettes” by making products containing nicotine available with a prescription only.

Since October 2021, Australians have needed a prescription to legally obtain nicotine-containing vaping products, and these are only given for a period of three to six months to smokers who have tried other ways to quit and have failed.

Professor Emily Banks, a public health specialist at the Australian National University, and Emeritus Professor Mike Daube from the faculty of health sciences at Curtin University in Western Australia, spoke about their experiences at events organised by Ash Scotland in Edinburgh.

Prof Banks said while it is up to each country to develop its own tobacco control strategies, a review she led showed that between two-thirds and three-quarters of smokers who quit managed to do so unaided.

She added: “Our review shows that e-cigarettes are harmful overall to non-smokers, especially young people.

“E-cigarettes are not an approved smoking cessation aid but, for some people, can be useful in attempts to give up tobacco – as long as they don’t use both e-cigarettes and cigarettes, which is the most common pattern.

“Evidence supports Australia’s prescription-only model for e-cigarettes, which aims to implement tighter controls to avoid vaping by non-smokers and young people, while offering targeted and supported use for people seeking to quit tobacco.”

Prof Banks said new reforms, including restrictions on flavourings, are also being introduced in Australia in a bid to “reduce the appeal of vapes to children and adolescents”.

Prof Daube said: “The Australian approach is based on evidence about what works, and concern that marketing and promotion of e-cigarettes and similar products is threatening our successes in reducing smoking.

“We are facing a new epidemic of vaping among young people, and a resurgent tobacco industry seeking to promote its novel products while doing everything it can to distract attention from the harms of cigarettes, and to prevent the measures we know will reduce smoking.

“That isn’t new – it has been a tobacco industry strategy for decades.

“That is why we need action to curb marketing of vaping products and, along with a precautionary approach on e-cigarettes, the Australian Government has announced a major new programme to reduce smoking, including new, stronger warnings – including on individual cigarettes; standardising the size of tobacco packs and products; as well as prohibiting flavours and additives.”

Leading children’s doctors in Scotland last week called on First Minister Humza Yousaf to take urgent action against the “vaping epidemic” among young people in Scotland.

Sheila Duffy, chief executive of Ash Scotland, said: “We welcome the perspectives shared by Professor Banks and Professor Daube and urge the Scottish Government to strongly consider following Australia’s precautionary approach to e-cigarettes by ensuring that, in the event of any vaping products being licensed by the MHRA in the future, they would only be made available on prescription to adults who have first tried methods to give up smoking that are known to be safe and effective.

“Tobacco remains the biggest preventable killer of people in Scotland, causing 9,000 deaths and 100,000 hospitalisations each year, and free person-centred information and advice delivered by qualified health professionals on the NHS is key to ensuring adults who want to quit tobacco have the best support to do so.

“Knowledge about e-cigarette products shared by staff working for profit-centred retailers, including vape shops, does not in any way equate to the range of medical and health expertise and proven stop smoking methods that are freely available from health professionals working for NHS Scotland’s specialist Quit Your Way services.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “E-cigarettes are one of a range of tools available to help smokers quit tobacco use.

“To be licensed as a medicine, nicotine vaping products need to meet the standards expected of medicinal products.

“If successful, this would potentially allow e-cigarettes to be made available for prescription. There are currently no e-cigarettes approved for prescription.

“We are very concerned by reports of young people obtaining e-cigarettes or vaping products and have asked Ash Scotland to undertake work with young people to help them understand the risks associated with using nicotine vaping products.

“Last year we consulted on restrictions on the advertising and promotion of vaping products.

“These are aimed at reducing the visibility of vapes to children, young people and adult non-smokers.

“Any action we seek to take will build on the regulations already in place to restrict the marketing, promotion and sale of vaping products to under-18s.

“The findings from the consultation will be used to inform the refreshed Tobacco Action Plan, which is due to be published later this year.”