Patients using nicotine vaping products should be prescribed devices with closed systems that cannot be refilled instead of open-system devices, according to provisional guidance from the RACGP.

The certainty of evidence for recommending the use of e-cigarettes as a second-line smoking cessation aid has also been upgraded from ‘low’ to ‘moderate’ following a 2022 Cochrane review of 78 studies.

The RACGP updated its smoking cessation guidelines in December, with additional advice for prescribers and a new chapter on vaping cessation, ahead of a national crackdown to curb soaring rates of use.

On 1 January, importing of single-use vapes was banned and a new Special Access Scheme pathway went live, with all doctors and nurse practitioners now able to prescribe vapes for therapeutic purposes where clinically appropriate.