Facts About Smoking That You Should Know in 2024

Whether you’ve seen it on the news or heard about a relative falling seriously ill from smoking, you likely already know the health risks involved.

In the 14th century, people believed that chewing and smoking tobacco could ward off mental and physical illnesses. 

Fortunately, scientists later discovered the opposite to be true.

It’s easy to get caught up in old traditions, but with the knowledge we have today, we can make better choices. 

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Let’s dive into the facts about smoking and why anyone still lighting up should quit for good.

Significant Decreases in Smoking Nationwide

In Australia, smoking is pretty much frowned upon due to its health risks, not just to smokers but to everyone around them.

For decades, the government’s been pushing hard with anti-smoking campaigns, and it’s paid off. Since 2019, there’s been a noticeable drop in the number of smokers compared to 1991. 

A big part of this is thanks to the government hiking up cigarette taxes, raising awareness about the dangers of smoking, and improving access to things like nicotine replacement therapy (NRT).

These moves have helped push people to quit and kept many motivated to stay off the cigarettes.

Smokefree Environments Proven Effective for Quitting

Two decades ago, the Smoke Free Environment Act 2000 further reinforced public awareness of poor air quality, smoking, and aerosols.

The new regulations ensured that non-smoking individuals, children, and animals must have spaces with clean air to breathe everywhere by banning indiscriminate cigarette consumption in public spaces and limiting its presence in commercial premises.

Combined with the higher prices of cigarettes due to increasing cigarette taxes, many motivated smokers have also found the smokefree spaces to help with their intent to quit.

And of course, cleaner air also means better breathing for everyone.

Teen Vaping Has Increased

Got teenagers or young kids in the family? 

It’s worth keeping an eye on corner shops and tobacconists that are selling illegal vapes without proper age checks, all in the name of profit. 

These businesses aren’t bothered about the health and safety of young people or anyone else vulnerable.

In 2021, around 3% of Australians aged 18 to 44 were regularly using illegal vapes from overseas.

These dodgy products can contain dangerously high levels of nicotine, up to 357mg, which is definitely something to avoid.

While vaping might not have the same risks as cigarette smoke, the nicotine and low-quality ingredients in these illegal vapes are still harmful, especially for young users.

It’s important they stop before it causes serious damage.

Vaping Has Grown Immensely in Popularity

In general, NVP use or ‘vaping’ is set to almost replace the entirety of Australia’s smoking market – but unfortunately, the illicit market has been taking this one step further, by creating a new generation of nicotine addicts in the country.

From 2007, the number of NVP users from all age brackets have significantly increased to 1.7 million in 2023 – increasing by 30% yearly – from just a few thousand users only a decade ago.

Currently, almost all of these vape users currently use illegal NVPs – non-therapeutic products sold almost anywhere, even in kid’s toy stores and accessible to children as young as 5 years old. 

These products distributed by criminal groups looking to profit from Australia’s most vulnerable have colourful packaging and a wide variety of flavours to get the new generation addicted to vaping.

Illegal NVPs have been found to contain dangerous nickel and lead and even foreign saliva – two things that no one ever wants to get into their lungs.

Australian Government Clamps Down on Illegal Vaping

Illegal vaping has become a huge problem in Australia. On 1 March 2024, the government set new regulations banning the sale and purchase of NVPs outside of pharmacies.

The main purpose of these regulations is to get illegal NVPs off the street and remove access from teenagers, children, and everyone else who hadn’t and shouldn’t get involved with nicotine, while giving motivated smokers a responsibly manufactured product designed purely for smoking and nicotine cessation.

As mentioned, you can purchase NVPs from pharmacies – but only if you’re going through a smoking cessation journey with a GP who can prescribe NVPs to you if they deem it necessary.

Pharmacy NVPs are made with stringent medical and GMP standards. These responsible products are made with your health in mind and are tested for inhalation safety to make sure that what you’re inhaling is helping you stop smoking, and eventually nicotine altogether.

Access to Responsible Vaping Through Pharmacies

If you’d like to use NVPs from pharmacies, here are some steps you can take to use a responsible tool to stop smoking altogether.

Go Through First-Line Solutions First

Some motivated smokers can handle cold turkey just fine and see success within a few tries, but oftentimes, smokers have strong withdrawals that can draw them back to lighting a stick.

That’s where nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) products come in. These are readily available and stocked at your local pharmacy.

NRT products are the most trusted quitting option available for motivated smokers. They might not imitate cigarettes, but they contain a small dose of nicotine that may be enough to alleviate your withdrawals. These come in the form of patches and gums for easy and convenient nicotine delivery.

While NRTs can be effective, they don’t work for everyone. If these haven’t done the trick for you, you may now be eligible for a nicotine prescription to use nicotine vaping products (NVPs).

Chat to a GP

As mentioned, NRT products have worked for many successful ex-smokers. But, you might have ingrained behaviours and triggers that only something that mimics a cigarette can successfully address, such as the hand-to-mouth motion, and needing something to use while having a drink with friends. 

That is where NVPs become very handy in helping you fight the urge to consume tobacco.

You need a nicotine prescription before you can purchase NVPs, so you’ll need to consult with a GP to help you on your smoking cessation journey. 

And, if your GP deems it necessary, they can write you a nicotine prescription for NVPs. 

You can chat to your usual GP more about this.

Visit Your Local Pharmacy

Once you have your nicotine prescription, you can pop down to your local pharmacy. Over 2,200 pharmacies across Australia hold these products in-store, but any pharmacy can order these in for you if they don’t currently stock them.

Both your pharmacist and GP can advise you on how best to use the product, such as the initial setup, and the number of puffs to take when you feel withdrawals.

Summary

Smoking is a danger to anyone who still smokes and also those around them. Fortunately, smoking in Australia is significantly waning, and with responsible smoking cessation products and good government oversight, this trend will continue to keep everyone safe and breathing fresh air.

If you need further help stopping smoking forever, we can help.

Smokefree Clinic gives you access to many medically reviewed and trustworthy resources that can inform and aid you in your path to wellness, so have a look around! 

If you’re ready to get started, Smokefree can connect you to friendly Australian healthcare professionals who excel in helping patients quit smoking for good, including via the use of pharmacy NVPs.

Click here to book in with a doctor today.

Link Reference:

• https://www.statista.com/topics/10926/smoking-in-australia/#topicOverview
• https://www.statista.com/statistics/1383147/australia-current-and-former-e-cigarette-and-vape-use-by-age-group/
• https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/professional/vaping-numbers-surge-despite-crackdown
• https://www.kidspot.com.au/news/melbourne-kids-shop-caught-allegedly-selling-tobacco-products-amongst-toys/news-story/f3b6cec7ac2b3da48c9db66cf9e2feb5
• https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/health-problems/aussie-kindergarteners-caught-in-vaping-trend-principal-claims/news-story/ee3b6b89457c9e6e089b535abe89170b
• https://www.bbc.com/news/health-65614078
• https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2023/08/paddy-gower-on-vaping-shocking-facts-uncovered-about-the-known-and-unknown-health-risks-of-e-liquids.html
• https://www.tga.gov.au/news/media-releases/new-regulation-vapes-starting-january-2024
• https://www.iso.org/iso-13485-medical-devices.html
• https://www.apvma.gov.au/regulation/manufacturing/good-manufacturing-practice