Will Australia's tightened prescription system reduce nicotine vaping among young people?

Abstract

Preventing uptake of e-cigarettes by youth is a central health policy objective; however, a balanced approach to e-cigarette regulation should also support the accessibility of e-cigarettes for adults seeking to quit smoking using e-cigarettes. Australia's 2011 e-cigarette prescription-only model has not prevented many youth and young adults from vaping, according to Hall's [1] recently published article. As Hall [1] points out, few people have obtained e-cigarettes via the medical prescription route under Australia's current ban on the sale of e-cigarettes on the open consumer market, therefore, many of the two million people who vaped in 2023 used illicit products. This was further corroborated by a