Australian Government ***BANNING ALL NICOTINE IMPORTS***

General Health and advocacy
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I realise many of these links have been posted in this thread already but a catch all post can make it easier.

Australian Vapers we’ve won this battle, but the war is far from over!

From the June 2020 edition of Australian Vaping Voice.

As you know, last week the entire Australian vaping movement came together and fended off the biggest attack on vapers and the vaping industry we have ever faced.

With just 12 days notice, the Health Department and the Health Minister Greg Hunt thought they could pull off a secret, dodgy import ban without any parliamentary scrutiny and no consultation. The ban would have forced 400,000 Australian vapers back onto lethal tobacco products, wipe out an entire industry and kill thousands of jobs on the eve of an economic recession.

Well done to every single vaper, vendor and advocate who called their MP, sent an email, signed a petition, spoke to the media, shared their story and simply stood up, made their voice heard and demand action. Politicians are now listening! We need to acknowledge the work of LNP Senator for Queensland Matt Canavan and Member for Dawson George Christensen for leading the revolt within the government, and ultimately securing a coalition of 28 MPs and Senators to call for the ban to be revoked. Particular thanks also go to the team at Legalise Vaping Australia (LVA) and the Australian Tobacco Harm Reduction Association (ATHRA) for their herculean efforts in coordinating the political advocacy and the Public Relations blitz that was instrumental in achieving this outcome.

While the import ban has been repealed in its entirety, for now, the Health Minister has already confirmed he intends to impose another nicotine ban in six months time. This is despite a growing number of Coalition backbenchers voicing their opposition to any nicotine ban and Senator Malcolm Roberts from One Nation declaring they will disallow the nicotine import ban in the Senate. Former Labor leader Bill Shorten has also come out in support of vaping, making him the highest-profile Labor MP to publicly support our cause. We need to work with these politicians to ensure Hunt doesn’t attempt another nicotine ban and reject any proposed regulatory regime that relies on nicotine prescriptions. Given that both the Australian Medical Association and the Pharmacy Guild both officially oppose vaping, we know that Greg Hunt’s prescription plan is simply a ban by a different name.

If you thought last week was difficult, our new challenge to prevent another revised and disguised ban will be even bigger. It is now more critical than ever that we use the next six months to persuade politicians to legalise nicotine vaping and e-cigarettes as consumer products similar to New Zealand. Ultimately, life-saving vaping products should not be more difficult to access than combustible tobacco.

Key Campaign Resources

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Awesome, I hope we can do the same in the States. Come together like that. You guys did good.

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i dont how we’d go about it but we need to somehow get more GP’s involved.
Maybe we could send that ATHRA resource page that informs doctors about writing scripts, to as many GP’s as we can.
Some action group that could organise properly and work through and lobby the various doctor groups/organisations would be ideal.
There must be more out there that would be sympathetic to this and at least consider it?
I’m going to run it past my GP, he was in agreement with me last time i spoke with him about it that its a much better alternative to smoking. Im not quite sure how he feels about it as a cessation tool.
Whether he’d go as far as writing scripts ill see.
I also have another family GP who has a daughter in the UK who is involved in the vaping industry and he seems ok with it to.
If we must cop a script system so be it but there has to be enough GP’s prepared to write scripts for it to work.
Has anyone here or does anyone know of someone who has had a script written for it yet?
Im wondering how they work? how long are they for, are they good for just one import order or do they write them up for a certain amount of time and does it stipulate strength and amount etc?

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Look at what Cuomo did… deja vu…

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My GP seemed happy to write the script when I asked but upon not finding it as an option in the prescribing software system, he then said “its not on the computer”.
I explained that the last script I had was in a letter format not from the system.

I was a bit dumbfounded that he didn’t know how to do this.

I have since written him a letter referencing the RACGP’s guidelines for smoking cessation:

“It is my understanding that Australian Medical Practitioners are able to write a Personal Prescription for patients and I would be pleased if you could visit the Australian Tobacco Harm Reduction Association (ATHRA) website for further information on this process.”

https://www.racgp.org.au/clinical-resources/clinical-guidelines/key-racgp-guidelines/view-all-racgp-guidelines/supporting-smoking-cessation-1/tobacco-harm-reduction

And followed up with my personal information as to how I fit their guidelines in bullet point, how long I smoked for, what NRT I had already tried, negative impacts on my health while smoking, positive impacts of Vaping versus smoking, my understanding that there are risks but as they are low I am willing to accept those risks etc…

I am yet to discuss this with him since sending the letter in Feb.

I previously had a script from Dr Danko’s online portal.
The script has all his info, provider no etc, Eliquid 100 mg/ml of Nicotine for inhalation via personal vapouriser. 250ml, 3 repeats. Use PRN in vapouriser for relief of cigarette cravings. Date, signature.
There was not expiry date.
I believe that the script expiry is one year - but I could be wrong.

I contacted Dr Danko again by email after speaking to my Dr and getting the “computer says no” response.
Dr Danko advised:
" Unfortunately I am unable to continue this service due to legal risks against me.
I now only prescribe nicotine through the Nicovape platform. https://www.nicovape.com.au/"

That was when I decided to write the letter to my gp. I am hoping that the next time I see him we can discuss it again (I have had other health issues that have gotten in the way lately).

As for importing - that is specified by the TGA Importation Scheme:
https://www.tga.gov.au/personal-importation-scheme

Personal Importation Scheme

Under the Personal Importation Scheme you may import a 3 month supply at the one time (at the maximum dose recommended by the manufacturer) of unapproved therapeutic goods into Australia without any approval required by the TGA provided that:

  • the goods are for your own treatment or the treatment of your immediate family; and
  • you do not supply (sell or give) the medicine to any other person; and
  • where possible, you keep the medicines or medical devices in their original packaging with any dispensing labels intact; and
  • the goods are not restricted under Australian Customs controls or quarantine rules and the goods do not contain a controlled substance; and
  • the goods are not injections that contain material of human or animal origin (except insulin); and
  • the total quantity of the goods imported within a 12 month period does not exceed 15 months supply of the goods (for medicines, at the maximum dose recommended by the manufacturer); and
  • if the goods are medicines in Schedule 4 or 8 of the Poisons Standard a prescription from an Australian-registered medical practitioner is held for the medicines.

"You cannot import more than a 3 month supply at the one time under the personal importation scheme. If you wish to bring more than 3 months supply at the one time into Australia, an Australian-registered doctor will first need to apply to the TGA for Special Access Scheme approval.

I hope this info is helpful…

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Thank you very much for this @Sevencasper. I don’t think many of us over in the US fully understand the “complications” you guys are going though. I appreciate the time you spent posting this, and the share.

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Thanks for reading SD, it is an arduous process!!
Worst thing is, they want to make it harder🙄

The answer to me (and many others) is simple :woman_shrugging:, so frustrating…

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Well I finally!! spoke to my GP about the Nic script and he said “ can’t do it they have banned it”

I explained that Greg Hunt tried to ban it but the ban has been delayed to Jan.
He said “no Medicare have banned it”
I was dumbfounded yet again.

I left without a script.

I think what he is referring to is that Medicare won’t fund Telehealth consults for Nic scripts anymore - he clearly doesn’t understand any of this :roll_eyes: :face_with_symbols_over_mouth:

I think i’ll just have to arrange a Telehealth consult with a doctor from the ATHRA list - that will be fun with a crap phone/internet service :roll_eyes:

Rant over… :laughing:

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Contact your Dr again and refer him to this athra page he will have to create a log in but all the info he needs is there

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Thanks @woftam , been there done that.
I think he just does not want to do it & doesn’t know how to say so. Or he’s just stoopid :laughing:

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Most likely a combo of all of them

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Me thinks so :thinking:

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Wait, what ? !!!

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It is not banned yet SD … but technically re: TGA regulations, we are supposed to have a script to import as a Therapeutic Good.

I was just trying to have my dr prescribe as per current Regs.
Even though I have given him all relevant info on how to to this, he either does not want to & wont say or he is completely baffled by the information.
Either way he won’t do it.

Unfortunately this is very common amongst most dr’s here, hence the work being done by ATHRA, Legalise Vaping, some politicians who are on side, Retailers and the active vaping community who understand what is required to try and change the regulations and the opinions of those who are against it.

It is a tough one…

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It’s sad to say but I don’t think they want to know, more being the point. The poor GPs already have enough on their plate.
Another problem being they will not prescribe unless they fully understand themselves and I bet you would find very few that would take such advice.

I don’t understand having worked in the stretched heath care system for more than 10 years, why are they determined to put more stress by enforcing us to get the GPs to prescribe. They haven’t had to prescribe NRT since 2013.

My point being nicotine shouldn’t be prescribed at all! But sold with restrictions like alcohol and tobacco and have nothing to do with the TGA.
What a waste of resources having GPs prescribe nicotine!

Not to mention that most of this long winded post is all but a pipe dream. :grinning: I hope it is taken in the right manner. :wink:

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OMG it’s scandalous what is happening. In Australia of all places. Doesn’t it just make you love politicians. Working for the health and well-being of their constituents. Morally bankrupt. Actually, really nasty, self serving, spiteful little vermin. I’m in the UK so it’s fairly reasonable here, so far, but my heart goes out to you all, and I will contribute a little cash (wish I could do a lot more) to your cause. Good luck, you’ll need it. If this succeeds who knows how many other countries will follow suit. Yet again we have other people telling us how to live, because they know better than us. Makes my blood boil.

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Totally agree!

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Thankyou for your support Steve :slightly_smiling_face:

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Good luck. This is bloody disgusting. Shame on these politicians. To quote the late Christopher Hitchens, “it’s a shame I’m an atheist, because I’d love to think there was a hell for these people to go to.”

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Just finished writing to 20plus Federal MP’s and Senators updating them on my lack of progress getting a script.

:crossed_fingers: I will get some responses.

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