In an important submission to a government enquiry, a leading health researcher says vaping should be available for all smokers to improve their health and move away from cigarette smoking.

Speaking to the Health Select Committee of the New Zealand Parliament on behalf of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP), Professor Chris Bullen said that as more evidence comes in, the evidence shows vaping is safer than smoking. 

“Vaping is safer than smoking. I don't think there's any question about that,” Professor Bullen said. 

The RACP has just announced it has changed its position on vaping and now supports vaping as a smoking cessation aid. 

“For the first time smokers now have a product that can deliver nicotine. It’s not perfect and they are not safe products, but they are by all accounts, safer than smoking,” Prof Bullen explained.

He said e-cigarettes have evolved rapidly, and of those available today, pod vaping devices are the most popular, with a sealed unit that contains nicotine salt. 

“They have a low power setting to deliver rather very small volumes of material that people can inhale. They are much more discreet than the old products which tended to give rise to lots of cloud.”

“The quality of product now available is potentially pharmaceutical grade. Their ability to deliver nicotine is able to match that of the cigarette, so this is something the pharmaceutical industry's never been able to do with nicotine replacement products.”