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TOBACCO ‘CATCH UP’ ON SMOKE-FREE PRODUCT RULES Around three million smokers and vapers are being overlooked by health authorities in Australia, says Philip Morris, with the federal government continuing to prohibit the sale by retailers of smoke-free products. Most recently, says a Philip Morris spokesperson, the Therapeutic Goods Administration rejected an application by the company that would have permitted the sale of heated tobacco products in Australia. Heated tobacco products heat rather than burn the tobacco, Philip Morris says, resulting in a significant reduction in the number and levels of harmful chemicals emitted compared with cigarette smoke. Philip Morris International’s (PMI) heated tobacco products are already available in more than 50 countries, including the US, UK, New Zealand, Japan and those in the European Union. In July, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) – said to be one of the most highly regarded health authorities in the world – authorised PMI’s tobacco heating system as a modified-risk tobacco product by issuing an exposure modification order. The reality, says the spokesperson, is that many smokers in Australia are looking for a better alternative than continuing to smoke cigarettes, and already about 500,000 people are using smoke-free products. “According to the latest government data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 51 per cent of vapers in Australia use smoke- free products to help them give up cigarettes,” Philip Morris said. “The same data also reveals that 99 per cent of people who have never smoked have either never used smoke-free products, or only tried them once or twice. “It is clear that the Australian government’s stance on smoke- free products is based on ideology not evidence, with study after study showing that smoke-free products, while not risk-free, are much better alternatives for smokers who would otherwise continue to smoke. “Australia needs to catch up and introduce regulations for smoke-free alternatives that establish product and safety standards, and prohibit their sale to under-18s, while allowing adult smokers to access them in locations where cigarettes are currently sold. “While permitting the sale of smoke-free products in Australia can benefit adults who continue to smoke cigarettes, there will also be a positive impact for retailers, according to a recent study by the Australian Retail Vaping Industry Association (ARVIA). Research conducted by the association in Tasmania has suggested that state could gain new businesses and jobs if it was the first jurisdiction to legalise smoke-free products. The ARVIA survey shows that much of the $438 million currently spent overseas by Australian vapers could shift to Tasmania. “Retailers around the country could directly benefit if regulators permitted the sale of smoke-free products like e-cigarettes and heated tobacco devices in Australia. It’s time the government made smoke-free products available to adult smokers in Australia.” “Philip Morris International’s (PMI) heated tobacco products are already available in more than 50 countries, including the US, UK, New Zealand, Japan and those in the European Union.” CONVENIENCE WORLD NOV/DEC, 2020 “In so doing, the FDA concluded that a decision to authorise the marketing of this tobacco heating system with reduced-exposure information was ‘appropriate for the promotion of public health’ and ‘is expected to benefit the health of the population as a whole’,” the Philip Morris spokesperson said. Countries such as the UK and more recently New Zealand, Philip Morris says, have regulated smoke-free products in a manner that encourages adult smokers to switch to them, while seeking to minimise uptake by non-smokers and youth. The UK has additionally introduced product safety standards. “But here in Australia, the government is going in the opposite direction,” the tobacco company said. “In addition to rejecting heated tobacco products, it has also moved to prohibit personal importation of another smoke-free product: nicotine- containing e-cigarettes. This is out of line with expert reviews from the UK and the US concluding that ‘using regulated nicotine vaping products is far less harmful than smoking’.”