What are the harms of vaping in young people who have never smoked?

An increase in youth vaping has raised concerns, particularly for young people who have never smoked. However, most vaping by never-smokers is occasional and transient and frequent vaping by never-smokers is rare. Vaping is not risk-free but there is limited evidence of significant harm so far to young people who vape.

A critique of the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council CEO statement on electronic cigarettes.

This paper critically analyses a statement by Australia's National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) on e-cigarettes in May 2022 that will be used to guide national policy. We reviewed the evidence and the conclusions drawn in the NHMRC Statement. In our view, the Statement is not a balanced reflection of the benefits and risks of vaping because it exaggerates the risks of vaping and fails to compare them to the far greater risks of smoking; it uncritically accepts evidence of harms from e-cigarettes while adopting a highly sceptical attitude towards evidence of their benefits; it incorrectly claims that the association between adolescent vaping and subsequent smoking is causal; and it understates the evidence of the benefits of e-cigarettes in assisting smokers to quit.

An update on vaping and nicotine prescribing.

Background: Under 2021 regulations, a prescription is required to import nicotine liquid for vaping or to purchase it from Australian pharmacies.

Objective: This article outlines 1) the latest evidence on vaping, 2) devices and liquids available, 3) how to counsel smokers about vaping and 4) how to write nicotine prescriptions.

Discussion: Vaping is a second-line quitting aid for adult smokers unable to quit with approved treatments and is the most popular quitting method in Australia.

Effect of Cytisine vs Varenicline on Smoking Cessation: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Cytisine is more effective than placebo and nicotine replacement therapy for smoking cessation. However, cytisine has not been tested against the most effective smoking cessation medication, varenicline, which is associated with adverse events known to lead to discontinuation of therapy.

Objective: To examine whether standard cytisine treatment (25 days) was at least as effective as standard varenicline treatment (84 days) for smoking cessation.

Does the gateway theory justify a ban on nicotine vaping in Australia?

Australia bans the sale, possession and use of liquid nicotine for vaping. One of the major arguments used to justify Australia's policy is that the availability of nicotine vaping products will lead a substantial number of young people who would otherwise not have smoked cigarettes to take up regular smoking (the gateway theory). In this article, we provide a critical analysis of the use of the gateway theory to justify Australian policy.

The effectiveness, safety and cost-effectiveness of cytisine versus varenicline for smoking cessation in an Australian population: a study protocol for a randomized controlled non-inferiority trial.

Background And Aims: Smoking cessation medications are effective, but often underutilized because of costs and side effects. Cytisine is a plant-based smoking cessation medication with more than 50 years of use in central and eastern Europe. While cytisine has been found to be well-tolerated and more effective than nicotine replacement therapy, direct comparisons with varenicline have not been conducted.

Electronic cigarettes in physician practice.

There is growing evidence for the effectiveness of e-cigarettes as a quitting aid and, although not completely harmless, the scientific consensus is that they are substantially less harmful than smoking tobacco. More research is needed, but there is now sufficient empirical evidence and real-world experience over more than a decade to consider their use as a legitimate tobacco harm reduction tool for smokers who are unable or unwilling to quit with conventional strategies. Smokers should be advised that the highest success rates occur with daily use with nicotine e-liquid and newer e-cigarette models.