Italian
Con pacchetti colorati e disponibili in una serie di sapori alla frutta, i liquidi usati nelle sigarette elettroniche sono attraenti.
Quello che l’imballaggio non rivela è che contengono anche sostanze chimiche dannose che si trovano in prodotti per la pulizia, come nel solvente per unghie, nei diserbanti e negli insetticidi.
Diversi di loro contengono inoltre nicotina, la stessa sostanza che crea forte dipendenza che si trova nelle sigarette di tabacco.
Emily Jenkinson dirige la Special Projects in Tobacco Control Unit al Cancer Council New South Wales, e ritiene che gli effetti a lungo termine sulla salute dello svapare siano al momento sconosciuti.
"Which is quite scary. So we want to prevent young people accessing these products, because we really don't know what's in them. We don't know enough. But what we do know, is young people who do vape are three-times more likely to go onto the smoke traditional cigarettes. And as you know, traditional cigarettes are well-researched and we know the harms there."
Nel tentativo di prevenire adolescenti e giovani adulti dall’iniziare lo svapo di nicotina, l’Australia l’anno scorso ha rafforzato le regolamentazioni su questi prodotti.
I consumatori ora possono acquistare legalmente prodotti per lo svapo a base di nicotina solo in farmacie in Australia e all’estero, con una prescrizione medica per aiutare a smettere di fumare.
Ma esiste ancora un mercato nero.
Svapare significa inalare un vapore creato da una sigaretta elettronica o altri apparecchi per lo svapo.
La maggior parte delle sigarette elettroniche hanno una batteria, la cartuccia del liquido e un sistema di vaporizzazione che simula l’atto di fumare.
La soluzione liquida o il “succo” usato nelle sigarette elettroniche può contenere nicotina, ma anche aromatizzanti e altri prodotti chimici.
La Therapeutic Goods Administration non ha valutato o registrato per l’uso nessun prodotto per lo svapo a base di nicotina in Australia.
Paige Preston, dirigente per il sostegno e le politiche della Lung Foundation Australia, ha dichiarato che i contenuti chimici dei liquidi per lo svapo non sono comunicati chiaramente ai consumatori.
"In a Curtin University study, funded by Lung Foundation and Minderoo Foundation that assessed 52 flavoured e-liquid vapes. We found that 100 per cent of every single product tested had different ingredients to what was on the label. So they were incorrectly labelled. And these consequences of those chemicals, a number of them had unknown respiratory health impacts, some had known respiratory impacts."
Il ministro della Salute del New South Wales Brad Hazzard ha dichiarato che i vapori contengono conservanti pericolosi.
"Vaping products are using chemicals that we find in anti-freeze, but dressed up in 500 different flavours to make it acceptable. (Sighs) I can only say, it is a cynical exercise by people who produce these vaping products and vapes. And it is, extremely dangerous to youngsters, lungs and their general bodily development."
Secondo l’Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, l’utilizzo delle sigarette elettroniche nella popolazione dai 14 anni in su è più che raddoppiato dal 2016 al 2019.
Esperti della sanità riportano che l’uso è aumentato ancor di più durante la pandemia.
Paige Preston di Lung Foundation Australia ritiene che ci siano vari motivi per cui le sigarette elettroniche sono diventate popolari.
"People believe that e-cigarettes are less damaging for you than traditional cigarettes. They are also marketed very cleverly so that they are very attractive to young people. So they've got, you know, fun, fruity confectionery flavours. And the other thing is that there isn't much regulation on these products."
New South Wales Health ha organizzato una campagna per educare i giovani, i genitori e i responsabili dei giovani sui danni dello svapo.
Il governo del New South Wales ha annunciato una posizione più dura nei confronti di chi vende sigarette elettroniche e liquidi contenenti nicotina.
Il governo dichiara che nei 18 mesi prima dello scorso dicembre sono state sequestrate oltre 100mila sigarette elettroniche con un valore di mercato di oltre due milioni.
English
Brightly packaged and available in a range of fruity flavours - the liquids used in vapes are enticing.
What the packaging doesn't reveal, is that they also contain harmful chemicals found in cleaning products, such as nail polish remover, weed killer and bug spray.
Many also contain nicotine, the same highly addictive substance found in tobacco cigarettes.
Emily Jenkinson leads the Special Projects in Tobacco Control Unit at Cancer Council New South Wales.
She says the long-term health impacts of vaping are as yet unknown.
"Which is quite scary. So we want to prevent young people accessing these products, because we really don't know what's in them. We don't know enough. But what we do know, is young people who do vape are three-times more likely to go onto the smoke traditional cigarettes. And as you know, traditional cigarettes are well-researched and we know the harms there."
In an attempt to prevent adolescents and young adults taking-up nicotine vaping, Australia tightened regulations around these products last year.
Consumers can now only legally purchase nicotine vaping products from pharmacies in Australia, and from overseas, with a doctor’s prescription to help quit smoking.
But a black-market still exists.
Vaping is the inhaling of a vapor created by an electronic cigarette or other vaping device.
Most e-cigarettes contain a battery, a liquid cartridge and a vaporisation system which simulates smoking.
The liquid solution or 'juice' used in e-cigarettes can contain nicotine, but also flavourings and other chemicals.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration hasn't assessed or registered any nicotine vaping products for use in Australia.
Lung Foundation Australia's senior manager of advocacy and policy, Paige Preston, says the chemical content of vaping liquids is not made clear to consumers.
"In a Curtin University study, funded by Lung Foundation and Minderoo Foundation that assessed 52 flavoured e-liquid vapes. We found that 100 per cent of every single product tested had different ingredients to what was on the label. So they were incorrectly labelled. And these consequences of those chemicals, a number of them had unknown respiratory health impacts, some had known respiratory impacts."
New South Wales Health Minister Brad Hazzard says vapes contain harmful additives.
"Vaping products are using chemicals that we find in anti-freeze, but dressed up in 500 different flavours to make it acceptable. (Sighs) I can only say, it is a cynical exercise by people who produce these vaping products and vapes. And it is, extremely dangerous to youngsters, lungs and their general bodily development."
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, e-cigarette use by people aged 14 or older more than doubled from 2016 to 2019*.
Health experts report usage has increased even more during the pandemic.
Lung Foundation Australia's Paige Preston says there are a number of reasons why e-cigarettes have become popular.
"People believe that e-cigarettes are less damaging for you than traditional cigarettes. They are also marketed very cleverly so that they are very attractive to young people. So they've got, you know, fun, fruity confectionery flavours. And the other thing is that there isn't much regulation on these products."
New South Wales Health has developed a campaign to educate young people, parents and carers about the dangers of vaping.
The New South Wales government says it's taking a harsher stance on retailers who sell e-cigarettes and e-liquids containing nicotine.
The government says that in the 18-months to December last year over 100,000 e-cigarettes, with an estimated street value of over $2 million, were seized in the state.
Report by Hannah Kwon
