Australia pays for anti-vaping policies

[Richard46]

Well surprise; surprise; perhaps the the Aus government will start to see some sense now.

colinmendelsohn.com.au/index.php/?cID=609

Tagging DaveJ who I know has an interest.

[ibalders]

Like what was said at the end..

“People can buy lethal tobacco cigarettes on every street corner but are unable to legally purchase a far safer alternative to help them quit,” Professor Mendelsohn said.

But this also applies to many other countries that are also doing they hardest to prevent people from vaping, we certainly live in a very strange world indeed.

[DaveJ]

Thanks for the tag Richard46.

*sigh* Yeah, what can I say?

Jessica's news roundups (http://allaboute-cigarettes.proboards.com/post/1207890/thread) have lately had much content about the state of affairs for vaping here in Australia.

Dr Mendelsohn is now pretty active in the "harm reduction" aspect of E-cigs as they relate to smoking. His past "claims to fame" include a lot of work in reducing the harms that come from other illegal substances. Those of a kind that often saw people use and share dirty needles and who then fall to serious illness arrising from that - this in the early days of AIDS. Among other things, the idea of "safe injecting rooms" and free needle exchanges I believe was his. That particular idea was so very controversial at the time (still is) but it certainly was a pragmatic way to address the transfer of some very nasty diseases.

I do believe Dr Mendelsohn and Dr Danko (of the Australian arm of the NNA) are liaising together nowdays, but what specifics are, I couldn't rightly say.

As for the politicans and decision makers here? Well I've said it before and I'll say it again. Bunch of blithering idiots, the lot of 'em. But that'd hardly be a surprise to any of you! I can only hope that numbers like those in the headline of this linked article (smoking rates increasing again) does something to sway the decision makers, but, honestly, those ANTZ have a huge huge head start with the decision makers and, unlike other "minority issues", "smoking harm reduction" (in the form of vaping) doesn't seem to have have much favour with the general voting public.

Fortunately it's only the nic that's the bogy-man here. Unlike some other places around the world, the mods, atties, batteries and other fluids are perfectly legal to own and use - at least for the present. And that essential ingredient is, for the most part, still currently getting thro.