Although Dr Vincent Roche does not deal with many patients who have vaped, he said he felt "sorry" for two groups of people since the new laws came into effect.
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The new national framework, which has been in place since July 1, means vapes and e-cigarettes can only be accessed at pharmacies with a prescription.
The Moss Vale doctor said he felt for the people who used vaping to wean off cigarettes and became addicted to e-cigarettes in the process.
He also felt "really sorry" for young people who were sold the idea that it was "a cool thing to do".
With the new laws, people under 18 will need a prescription to buy a vape, which will be sold with plain packaging and without flavouring.
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare's (AIHW) date from 2022 to 2023, 49 per cent of young people between the ages of 18 and 24 have used vapes at least once.
They were the most likely age group to use e-cigarettes in this period, data from a survey revealed.
"So I do feel sorry for those young people because I think there's a lot of community pressure in their areas, you know, social sub-groups to vape, but it's really bad for you," he said.
Almost 20 per cent of people aged 14 and above have used e-cigarettes at least once between 2022 and 2023, and seven per cent used them "least daily, weekly, monthly, or less often than monthly", the AIHW said.
This has jumped from 11.3 per cent using them at least once, and 2.5 per cent being regular consumers in 2019.
Patients will continue to need a prescription through a special access pathway to buy a therapeutic vape until September 30.
Therapeutic vapes with a nicotine concentration up to 20mg/mL will be available at pharmacies for patients aged 18 and above without a prescription from October 1.
For patients under 18, therapeutic vapes with a with a concentration higher than this will continue to be available with a prescription, and will depend on state and territory laws.
Dr Roche said the laws were a good start to change, and it was important they were enforced.
Often going to work in Western Sydney, he was "horrified" that stores in areas such as Campbelltown and Fairfield still advertised vapes.
It was important to introduce a system where people could report illegal supplies of vapes, he said.
If you, or someone you know is trying to quit vaping, there are different ways to get support:
- The My QuitBuddy app provides tips to overcome cravings and tracking systems to chart one's quitting progress.
- Quitline (13 7848): a confidential, evidence-based telephone counselling service
- Visit a GP for information and help on how to quit vaping.
- Confide in a family member or trusted adult for support and guidance.
Briannah Devlin
I like to write about arts, entertainment, any local reality tv leads, and property for the Southern Highland News and Goulburn Post, but also report on everything in between. If you have any tips, please send them to Briannah.Devlin@austcommunitymedia.com.au, or call 0439142204.
I like to write about arts, entertainment, any local reality tv leads, and property for the Southern Highland News and Goulburn Post, but also report on everything in between. If you have any tips, please send them to Briannah.Devlin@austcommunitymedia.com.au, or call 0439142204.
