Smoking cessation therapies such as nicotine patches and lozenges are available in Australia. These have been evaluated and approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). Such products do not have the same health risks as e-cigarettes.

To date, there are currently no therapeutic e-cigarettes that have been evaluated by the TGA for smoking cessation. However, unapproved products may assist some people with quitting under medical supervision and if their health practitioner sees it as clinically appropriate. It is important to always speak to a doctor about smoking cessation options.

The wide variation in products and the ability of users to customise their experience makes it difficult to assess the safety and efficacy of e-cigarettes as a group, because the results from research involving one product may not be applicable to all e-cigarettes or all users.

E-cigarettes may expose users to chemicals and toxins at levels that have the potential to cause health effects. These include solvents such as propylene glycol, glycerol or ethylene glycol, which may form toxic or cancer-causing compounds when vaporised. Although these chemicals are typically found in lower concentrations than in tobacco cigarettes, in some studies e-cigarettes and tobacco cigarettes were found to produce similar levels of formaldehyde, which is classified as a cancer-causing agent. E-cigarette liquids or vapour may also contain potentially harmful chemicals that are not present in smoke from tobacco cigarettes.

Regulators and health authorities in Australia, Europe, and the US have documented cases of e-cigarettes overheating, catching fire or exploding, causing serious burns and injuries. Such cases occurred when the device batteries were of poor quality, stored improperly or modified by users.

If e-cigarettes contain nicotine, there may be a high risk of dependence and tolerance as with tobacco cigarettes.

The Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care provides information about how to quit smoking and services that may assist. You can call Quitline on 137 848, between 8am and 8pm, Monday to Friday, to talk to a counsellor.

If e-cigarettes contain nicotine, treatments may be the same as those for smoking tobacco cigarettes.

According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, more people are currently using e-cigarettes in Australia than ever before, with 7% reporting current use in 2022-23, an increase from 2.5% in 2019.

Young people aged 18 to 24 are most likely to use e-cigarettes. In 2019, 5.3% of young people surveyed reported using e-cigarettes. This figure rapidly increased to 21% in the 2022-23 National Drug Strategy Household Survey. On the other hand, only 1.6% of people aged 60 to 69 currently used e-cigarettes in 2022-23.

The Illicit Drug Reporting System (IDRS) is an Australian monitoring system run by the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC) at UNSW Sydney that identifies emerging trends of local and national concern in illicit drug markets.

The Ecstasy and Related Drugs Reporting System (EDRS) is an Australian monitoring system run by NDARC that identifies emerging trends of local and national interest in ecstasy and related drug use, markets and harms.

The Pocket Guide to Drugs and Health is a publication authored by experts from NDARC that provides information for health professionals on the impact of drug use.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare collects information on alcohol and tobacco consumption, and illicit drug use among the general population in Australia.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics is Australia’s national statistical agency, providing official statistics on a range of economic, social, population and environmental matters of importance to Australia.

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2024). National Drug Strategy Household Survey 2022–2023, AIHW, Australian Government. Retrieved from: aihw.gov.au/reports/illicit-use-of-drugs/national-drug-strategy-household-survey/contents/summary

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2020). Outbreak of Lung Injury Associated with the Use of E-Cigarette, or Vaping, Products. Retrieved from: cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/e-cigarettes/severe-lung-disease.html

Department of Health and Aged Care (2024). About vaping and e-cigarettes. Australian Government, Canberra. Retrieved from: health.gov.au/topics/smoking-vaping-and-tobacco/about-vaping

National Health and Medical Research Council (2022). CEO Statement: Electronic Cigarettes (E-Cigarettes). Retrieved from: nhmrc.gov.au/health-advice/all-topics/electronic-cigarettes/ceo-statement

Therapeutic Goods Administration (2024). Changes to the regulation of vapes. Retrieved from: tga.gov.au/products/unapproved-therapeutic-goods/vaping-hub/changes-regulation-vapes