Australia: Therapeutic Goods Administration rejects Philip Morris International's proposal

On August 24, 2020, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) of the Australian Department of Health[1] refused to amend its poison control standard to make an exception to allow the sale of heated tobacco products. Under the poison control standard, new nicotine products are prohibited because nicotine is classified as a “dangerous poison.”

Despite the US Food and Drug Administration's July 2020 conclusion that PMI's heated tobacco product "is expected to benefit the health of the population as a whole," the TGA remains very cautious and believes there are no public health benefits to greater availability of nicotine in the form of heated tobacco products.

The TGA received submissions from the Lung Foundation, Cancer Council Australia, the Australian Council on Health and Smoking, and the National Heart Foundation, which expressed concerns about the public health risks of heated tobacco products. The TGA ultimately decided that there were "significant safety concerns with heated tobacco products." It concluded that the nicotine in the products posed a risk of irreversible toxicity, which could lead to serious, acute, or chronic health risks and even death.

Australia has taken a very strong stance on tobacco and nicotine products over the years and has been able to resist pressure from tobacco companies, resulting in some of the highest cigarette prices.[2] to the world and a low prevalence among young people.