Smoking Cessation Experts Support New Vaping Option on Prescription

A new option for Australian smokers who want to try to quit via “vaping” has been launched amid the ongoing debate about whether the use of liquid nicotine in personal vaporizers might provide an effective smoking cessation option and significantly reduce the harm associated with smoking cigarettes.

Australian company NicoPharm has launched a service that gives people access to liquid nicotine upon the presentation of a doctor’s prescription for therapeutic use, consistent with its listing in the Poisons Standard.

Liquid nicotine has not been available locally and Australians wanting to use liquid nicotine for therapeutic end use have had to purchase from overseas suppliers, within the regulations that cover the personal importation of liquid nicotine. Quality and consistency cannot be verified as the standards and regulations differ between countries. NicoPharm provides Australians with a solution to access certified liquid nicotine within a controlled environment that meets the highest standards for therapeutic goods production.

Tobacco treatment specialist Dr Colin Mendelsohn says there is still much to learn about e-cigarettes but there is growing evidence to support their effectiveness and safety for smoking cessation and harm reduction.

“Many experts feel that e-cigarettes are a potentially game-changing technology and could save many lives in the future,” said Dr Mendelsohn.

“I think it fits very well within the context of a ‘harm reduction’ approach to tobacco control. There is growing evidence from research studies and overseas experience that electronic cigarettes can help smokers quit. Many of my patients have successfully quit with vaping, where conventional methods have been unsuccessful.”

“A commonly raised concern about electronic cigarettes is that they may be a gateway to smoking for young people who have never smoked. However, regular e-cigarette use is almost exclusively confined to young people that smoke and regular vaping by non-smokers is rare.”

High quality pharmaceutical grade nicotine liquid is hard to confirm via online sources because of the low level of regulations.

“I think accessing nicotine solution which is prepared in Australia to Australian pharmaceutical standards is a safer and more convenient option.”

For more information visit www.nicopharm.com.au