Summary
Date: 6 November 2020
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners supports the interim decision of the Therapeutic Goods Administration to amend the current Poisons Standard in relation to nicotine. The evidence-based approach places all nicotine-containing products into Schedule 4, except for cigarettes and smoking cessation medications. Heat-not-burn, e-cigarette nicotine liquid, snuff, chewing tobacco, and novel products are all unavailable for legal importation or sale. Nicotine containing e-cigarettes will be available through prescription only for smoking cessation purposes. The RACGP highlights the need for clinician and consumer education so that people do not anticipate being able to obtain a prescription for nicotine e-liquid from their GP for continued recreational use.