A visiting health professional is criticizing a ban on nicotine in e-cigarette products. University of Queensland professor Wayne Hall is going to join experts who are calling to remove the ban.

It’s against law to sell electronic nicotine refills but it can be lawfully acquired from overseas suppliers for personal use. According to Hall, an absurd situation has been created by law and people were resorting to the black market to purchase products that have a less harmful form of nicotine compared to normal tobacco cigarettes.

"You can buy cigarettes wherever you like but you're not allowed to buy something that's probably a great deal safer, at least in the short term”, said Hall.

Stores that sell nicotine e-cigarettes have been targeted by Ministry of Health enforcement officers over the past six months. Verbal warnings have also been given to numerous retailers. Penalties can also be charged for selling nicotine liquid or cartridges and it can be as high as $10,000.

University of Auckland associate professor Chris Bullen said that no more research was required but the current law was ‘frankly bizarre’. Bullen who led a clinical trial on e-cigarettes said that it was not logical or useful policy. The clinical trial on e-cigarettes found that the vapour released was less harmful as compared to the poison inhaled through smoking tobacco.

Cosmic is one of the biggest e-cigarette retailers of the country. It has been reported that Cosmic had complied with the rules and also did not stock nicotine products. Associate Health Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga was eager to know more from health experts on the matter.