Kristie Johnston, Notice of Motion – 29 March 2023

Ms Johnston to move –

That the House

1. Agrees that e-cigarettes are not safe.
2. Acknowledges the conclusive evidence that e-cigarettes can cause:
   1. addiction;
   1. burns and injuries;
   1. poisoning;
   1. acute nicotine toxicity;
   1. seizures; and
   1. acute respiratory diseases including illness requiring hospitalization and intubation.
3. Acknowledges the substantial evidence:
   1. of addiction to e-cigarettes among non-smokers;
   1. that non-smokers who use e-cigarettes are three times more likely than non-users to go on to smoke combustible tobacco cigarettes;
   1. of the alarming increase in use by young people;
   1. that most e-cigarette use, even among smokers, is not for smoking cessation; and
   1. the poor enforcement of the legal prescription pathway for e-cigarettes.
4. Acknowledges:
   1. that mainstream retailers in Australia, including convenience stores, tobacconists and others are a major source of nicotine e-cigarette products in breach of Federal and State/Territory legislation, including in Tasmania (eg, Public Health Act 1997 (Tas), Federal Poisons Standard);
   1. the proliferation and availability of e-cigarette devices and liquids not labelled as containing nicotine or claiming to be nicotine-free undermines efforts to enforce the legal prescription pathway.
5. Expresses alarm about the rapid increase in use by young people of e-cigarettes in Tasmania.
6. Condemns targeted marketing to young people.
7. Notes the Federal Health Ministers’ meeting on 24 February 2023 and resolutions of that meeting which endorsed the National Tobacco Strategy 2022-2030 and establish an E-Cigarette Working Group, and calls on the State Government to continue advocating for a national approach around the serious issue of vaping and e-cigarette use, including consideration to make it an offence to supply e-cigarette products, regardless of whether they contain nicotine, outside the Therapeutic Goods Administration prescription avenues.