E-cigarette users could be booted from smoke-free areas under proposed tobacco law changes, opened for public discussion on Saturday.
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The Department of Health and Human Services has asked Tasmanians to consider four proposals for how it should tackle the increasing popularity of ‘vaping’.
The four options for consideration are:
- Laws to regulate e-cigarettes and strengthen the tobacco licensing framework
- Regulate retail sale and not smoke-free areas for e-cigarettes
- Do nothing
- Ban the sale and use of e-cigarettes
The discussion paper angles for option one, in a bid to “deliver the greatest net benefit to the health of the Tasmanians”.
But users, or ‘vapers’, could also be booted out of smoke-free areas and the legislation changed to ensure tougher penalties for people who supply e-cigarettes to youths.
“Vaping… will be referred to as ‘smoking’ in the Act so the concept of ‘smoke-free areas’ does not need to change,” part of the proposal reads.
Smoke-free areas include cars with children or work colleagues, enclosed public places or workplaces, outdoor dining areas, playgrounds, sporting events, swimming pools, certain public events, areas declared smoke-free by occupiers, bus shelters and pedestrian and bus malls in the Public Health Regulations 2014.
Dr Harley Stanton, former World Health Organisation tobacco control scientist, believes option one is “reasonable”.
“There’s evidence to show that some of the toxic chemicals that are given off (by e-cigarettes) are harmful to humans,” he said.
But Launceston vaper, Andrew Starry, 24, says the proposal lacks common sense.
“I quit smoking because I had tumours,” he said.
“I’ve taken the healthy option and I’ve been punished.”
Mr Starry believes Tasmania’s smoking legislation doesn’t need changing.
Instead, he thinks the laws should be clarified publically.
“Nobody knows the rules.
“We should be able to do it outside, near a venue.”
The proposals can be seen by visiting www.dhhs.tas.gov.au/publichealth/tobacco_control/electronic-cigarettes.
Comments on the proposals can be forwarded to tobacco.control@dhhs.tas.gov.au.
Comments close on January 30.