Internal medicine journal
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Internal medicine journal · Jul 2021
Nicotine in electronic cigarette fluid: importation pathways to unequal harm.
The Australian Government recently walked away from changes to the importation of nicotine-containing electronic cigarette fluids, originally due to come into force on 1 January 2021. Additionally, the Therapeutic Goods Administration is in the process of rescheduling nicotine for use in e-fluids. We are concerned that the 270 000 daily vapers in Australia will purchase high concentrations of nicotine (≥100 mg/mL) for mixing with nicotine-free locally purchased e-fluids, which is a pathway of increased relative harm. We would like to see regulation of these products to limit the maximum concentration of nicotine, ensure appropriate child-resistant containers and compulsory labelling for all nicotine-containing e-fluid bottles.
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The Therapeutic Goods Administration has since 2013 neglected its long tradition of publishing regular bulletins and updates about medicine safety issues directed to Australian healthcare professionals. Recent publication policy is confused with information about clinically important safety issues published only in the alternative Safety Information Alerts and, unlike other comparable regulators, a failure to publish direct healthcare professional communications.