Trent Zimmerman wants nicotine e-cigarettes to be made legally available in Australia.

The North Sydney federal Liberal MP says e-cigarettes could save “thousands of lives” if long-term smokers turn to them as an alternative to tobacco.

But he was one of just three dissenting voices against a parliamentary health committee majority who oppose legalising nicotine e-cigarettes.

“I took the view that e-cigarettes are an important part of a harm minimisation approach,” Mr Zimmerman, who chaired the Inquiry into the Use and Marketing of Electronic Cigarettes and Personal Vaporisers told the North Shore Times.

“E-cigarettes are not a 100 per cent safe product but they do much less harm than smoking cigarettes.

media_camera The majority of the parliamentary health committee oppose legalising nicotine e-cigarettes. Photo: Sean Gallup/Getty Images

“While there is debate about how much less harm they do most studies point to their being significantly less likely health impacts from vaping. E-cigarettes provide an option for those hard core smokers who have tried and failed to quit,” he added.

According to Mr Zimmerman, e-cigarettes are now legally available in Europe, the UK and the US, “often with the support of their health sectors”.

But the NSW Department of Health has expressed scepticism about some of the evidence being presented on the benefits of e-cigarettes.

“A 2014 European study claiming that e-cigarettes are “95 per cent less harmful than smoking” was based on opinion rather than empirical evidence,” a spokesman for NSW Health said.

“The World Health Organisation (WHO) has since stated that ‘no specific figure about how much ‘safer’ the use of these products is compared to smoking can be given any scientific credibility at this time’.”

media_camera Member for North Sydney, Trent Zimmerman.

NSW Health welcomed the finding of Mr Zimmerman’s committee which showed “that while there are differing medical opinions internationally on the benefits of e-cigarettes, Australia is currently erring on the side of caution”.

“NSW Health is open to exploring the effectiveness and suitability of e-cigarettes as a quit smoking aid, but we are also cautious to ensure the risks don’t outweigh the benefits,” the spokesperson added.

Labor MP Steve Georganas, who presented the committee’s majority report to parliament last week, said while there was evidence that hardcore smokers could switch to less-harmful “vaping” the health impact needed clarification.

“Until science experts say there is no impact on health we should be very cautious in this area,” he said.

Mr Zimmerman, who was supported by fellow Liberals Tim Wilson and Andrew Laming, acknowledged that the tobacco industry is developing e-cigarette products but said that “in the UK most e-cigarette products are produced by non-tobacco companies”.

Mr Zimmerman said that the Liberal Party “does not accept donations from tobacco companies”.

media_camera There has been a continued drop in smoking across NSW. Photo: Tim Pascoe

SMOKING RATES FALL

Smoking rates in Northern Sydney are continuing to fall according to the most recent data on tobacco use.

“In Northern Sydney, the smoking rate among adults is at nine per cent which is the lowest in the state,” said Paul Klarenaar, Director of Health promotion at Northern Sydney Local Health District (NSLHD).

Mr Klarenaar said supporting smoking bans in public places, promoting the NSW Quitline service, training health workers and working with councils and youth agencies has helped contribute to the result.

NSW Health’s Executive Director of Population Health Dr Jo Mitchell said the NSW Government’s efforts to curb smoking, the leading cause of disease and premature death across the state, are working.

WA pushing to increase to national legal smoking age WA pushing to increase to national legal smoking age

The NSW Government allocated more than $6 million in the 2017-18 State Budget for tobacco control including into the Cancer Institute NSW’s Quitline and iCanQuit services. And since 2015, the Cancer Institute NSW has invested more than $22 million on public awareness and education campaigns for smoking cessation.

“Smoking is a dangerous habit, not just to smokers but those around them, and we are committed to reducing its impact on our lives,” Dr Mitchell said.

“That’s why I’m pleased to see our efforts result in a continued drop in smoking across NSW, from around 20 per cent in 2007 down to 15 per cent in 2016. The rate of smoking among secondary school students is also at an lowest of 6.7 per cent.”

But North Sydney federal Liberal MP Trent Zimmerman said that reduction rates were “plateauing”.

“We need new options to drive down smoking rates even further. The use of e-cigarettes could save thousands of lives as we know two thirds of smokers will die from smoking related illness,” he said.

NSW Health said they will continue to explore more ways to reduce smoking rates in the population.