ENGLISH
They're growing in popularity, especially among teenagers.
But new research highlights the serious health dangers posed by e-cigarettes.
One of the report's authors is professor Emily Banks, from the Australian National University.
"We reviewed the worldwide evidence and that included over 400 different studies, it's just been through additional peer review and published in the Medical Journal of Australia today. The main findings are that e-cigarettes carry significant harm, particularly to non-smokers and to children and adolescents."
The study shows the health risks include addiction, poisoning in small children, seizures and loss of consciousness, headache, cough, and throat irritation, and burns caused by exploding batteries.
"I think the addiction is a really important for parents to look out for but also to understand young people are not the villains in this piece they're the victims. These things are being actively marketed to them, they're being very cleverly marketed, as if they thought of it, but also it's creating addiction that young people then need support to overcome"
It wants to see health warnings on vaping packages, and for authorities to implement laws that make it illegal for retailers to sell vapes to people under the age of 18.
Professor Steve Robson is the president of the AMA.
"If we're going to protect Australia's next generation from the dangers of recreational vaping then we need to at the very least enforce the laws that exist. The laws are there now but they're being flouted and we're seeing very lax enforcement from many states and territories. That has to be step number one if we're going to get rid of this problem."
Vapes with nicotine are only available to adults that have a prescription.
The Nationals are outlining a new position - calling for nicotine vapes to be regulated in line with the tobacco industry.
That would allow adults to buy nicotine vapes without needing a prescription.
Nationals leader David Littleproud has told ABC's News Breakfast, the rules need to be tightened for young people.
"So what we're saying is we've got to move with the market and understand the risk to our children and look to re-shift where the regulation is and use some common sense. I think you can look at how we've regulated for cigarettes in the past where the point of sale, where reputable retailers or chemists with vapes in particular that dispense these to people over 18."
But report author Emily Banks says the prescription-model works.
"We know now that the evidence in our study really supports the prescription only model in Australia, that's seeking to allow access to smokers who are using e-cigarettes to quit, while really trying to avoid use in young people and particularly people who don't smoke."
The Therapeutic Goods Administration will soon recommend to the Federal Government some measures to curb rising vaping rates.
Italian
Stanno diventando sempre più diffuse, specialmente tra gli adolescenti.
Ma una nuova ricerca ha evidenziato il serio rischio per la salute causato dalle sigarette elettroniche.
Una delle autrici del rapporto è la professoressa Emily Banks, dalla Australian National University.
"We reviewed the worldwide evidence and that included over 400 different studies, it's just been through additional peer review and published in the Medical Journal of Australia today. The main findings are that e-cigarettes carry significant harm, particularly to non-smokers and to children and adolescents."
Lo studio mostra che i rischi per la salute includono dipendenza, avvelenamento nei bambini, crisi epilettiche e perdita di coscienza, tosse, irritazioni della gola e ustioni causate dall’esplosione delle batterie.
"I think the addiction is a really important for parents to look out for but also to understand young people are not the villains in this piece they're the victims. These things are being actively marketed to them, they're being very cleverly marketed, as if they thought of it, but also it's creating addiction that young people then need support to overcome"
L’Australian Medical Association sta spingendo per avere delle regole più ferree.
L’associazione vorrebbe le informazioni sui rischi per la salute sui pacchetti che contengono gli strumenti per le sigarette elettroniche, oltre alla realizzazione di leggi che rendano illegale la vendita ai minori di 18 anni.
Il Professor Steve Robson è il presidente di questa associazione.
"If we're going to protect Australia's next generation from the dangers of recreational vaping then we need to at the very least enforce the laws that exist. The laws are there now but they're being flouted and we're seeing very lax enforcement from many states and territories. That has to be step number one if we're going to get rid of this problem."
Le sigarette elettroniche con nicotina sono disponibili soltanto per adulti con prescrizione medica.
Il partito dei Nationals sta definendo una nuova posizione – richiedere che le sigarette elettroniche con nicotina siano sotto la regolamentazione dell’industria del tabacco.
Questo permetterebbe agli adulti di comprarle senza bisogno di prescrizione medica.
Il leader dei Nationals David Littleproud ha detto al programma ABC's News Breakfast che le regole vanno rese più stringenti per i più giovani.
"So what we're saying is we've got to move with the market and understand the risk to our children and look to re-shift where the regulation is and use some common sense. I think you can look at how we've regulated for cigarettes in the past where the point of sale, where reputable retailers or chemists with vapes in particular that dispense these to people over 18."
Ma Emily Banks, l’autrice del rapporto, sostiene che il modello basato sulle prescrizioni mediche funzioni.
"We know now that the evidence in our study really supports the prescription only model in Australia, that's seeking to allow access to smokers who are using e-cigarettes to quit, while really trying to avoid use in young people and particularly people who don't smoke."
La Therapeutic Goods Administration pubblicherà presto delle linee guida per il governo federale per attuare misure che limitino la crescita dell’uso delle sigarette elettroniche.
Report by SBS News.
