E-cigarettes represent a dangerous new pathway into smoking, and in countries with lax regulation, e-cigarette use has reached epidemic proportions among teenagers in recent years. We are campaigning to ensure the current prohibition on the sale of nicotine based e-cigarettes stays in place in Australia, and combat e-cigarette use worldwide. We commission and collate the latest e-cigarette research to reduce public misperception about the “healthy” benefits of e-cigarettes, and promote the position statements on e-cigarettes from all Australia’s leading health bodies.

We campaign through the media, and through engagement with state and federal policy makers, to ensure the latest half-truths from nicotine-funded lobby groups are countered with balanced facts. We work alongside leading health bodies to publish reports, position statements and editorials presenting the growing body of evidence that demonstrates e-cigarettes are a harmful pathway for kids and young adults to initiate smoking.

Last year the Collaborate Against Cancer initiative conducted public opinion polling in New South Wales and Victoria to determine the level of knowledge about e-cigarettes. A high percentage of people reported receiving mixed messages about e-cigarettes, which leads to confusion about the health effects of e-cigarettes. This lack of knowledge also contributed to uncertainty about why Australia’s leading health bodies and Government are supporting a precautionary approach toward e-cigarettes.