Letters to the Editor: 28 July 2022

I have been riding a bicycle around the local Mandurah area for about 10 years. I'm 65 years old and also a motorist, pedestrian and motorcyclist. And no, I do not 'tear' around on my bike. On numerous occasions during my morning cycle, I am often nearly involved in altercations with cars failing to give way, turning in front of me, passing and braking hard, and other careless actions.Today it finally happened. A woman coming out of a small carpark onto a main road, not paying attention to her surroundings, not looking both ways, pulled out in her large 4WD and ploughed into me. She knocked me over, thankfully heard the crash and stopped. The results of this event could have been catastrophic. I could have been killed or even maimed. There were plenty of witnesses who enquired about my wellbeing after the accident. Thank you. While the driver was most apologetic and minimal damage or injury occurred, the results could have been much worse. I urge everyone to please pay attention to what's going on around you while driving. Inattention can be fatal. We saw a case this week in the media of an altercation between a cyclist and a car driver. While not at all condoning assaulting the motorist, as he is alleged to have done, clearly the possibility of injury or even death by careless road users, we can all easily understand how this could certainly arouse different emotions and responses

It has been illegal to sell e-cigarette devices, whether they contain nicotine or not, since a WA Supreme Court decision published in 2016.

The use of e-cigarettes by non-smokers increases their likelihood of becoming future cigarette smokers by three-fold, and e-cigarettes are no more effective in helping smokers quit than existing TGA approved nicotine replacement products.

There is also evidence that e-cigarettes adversely affect cardiovascular health, including blood pressure and heart rate, lung function, and adolescent brain development and function.

Australia is now facing an epidemic of e-cigarette use by children, teenagers and young adults, and this new epidemic is a direct result of massive pressure being applied by BigTobacco, their lobbyists and their funded front groups.

The Health Department's recent public health program should be strongly supported by the community.

We must not allow a new generation of young Australians to become hooked on addictive nicotine.