Leading Tasmanian not-for-profit health insurer St Lukes has warned there’s no room for political bargaining when it comes to health, and says the watered-down vaping Bill negotiated in the Senate on Monday puts the interests of big tobacco ahead of the health of Tasmanians.
St Lukes CEO Paul Lupo said with the Bill expected to be brought on for debate, the Senate had the opportunity to deliver a far-reaching public health outcome for the country.
St Lukes is calling on Tasmanian senators to justify how this decision is in the best interest of the community.
“The Federal Government has shown the courage and leadership to have tough restrictions on the sale of vapes and vaping products to stop vapes from impacting our health,” Mr Lupo said.
“We now need senators from the other parties to stand up and say they don’t want to see Tasmanians targeted and harmed by these products any longer.”
Mr Lupo said reports that the Bill was being watered down to remove a requirement of a prescription for adults to buy vaping products from 1 October were extremely disappointing.
“The Greens in the Senate, and now some peak bodies, have put the interest of big tobacco ahead of the health of our population,” he said.
“Effectively turning pharmacies into vape shops without any medical oversight of a product we know is highly addictive and liable to be illegally on-sold to children is a massive setback in our efforts to stop yet another generation becoming addicted to nicotine and the products of big tobacco.
“Tasmanians will be rightly wondering what it will take to convince our lawmakers to take tough and decisive action to just get rid of these products from general circulation full stop.”
St Lukes is also urging the Tasmanian Government to act as a national leader, and ensure they are doing whatever they can at a state level to protect the health of Tasmanians.
“We have decades of evidence of the inherent harm of nicotine addiction, and yet we still can’t bring ourselves to decisively protect the community. While many of these measures will help control access to vapes, removing the requirement for prescription leaves us with a loophole all too many people will fall victim to.
“Vapes are harmful. They are addictive. Those two reasons alone ought to be enough for senators to take the action that’s needed. The fact that it is younger Tasmanians who are most at-risk from vaping purely reinforces how critical this vote is.
“We cannot afford for this vote to be the moment the next generation looks back on and asks why we didn’t make a more courageous decision for the sake of people’s health. It’s time to make a difference.”
ENDS
For further information: Jacquie Ray, Timmins Ray Public Relations: 0429 683 779.