‘Contravenes all the evidence’: Nicotine patches banned in prisons

Nicotine patches are now banned in Victorian prisons, in direct contravention to public health advice.

The banning of nicotine patches in Victorian prisons is “really concerning” and in contravention of public health advice, according to VACRO senior policy and advocacy advisor Abigail Lewis.

From this week, nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) patches have been banned in Victorian prisons for “safety and security reasons”.

“The changes are being made to help combat the health and safety risks associated with people in prisons misusing the nicotine patches,” Corrections Victoria said in a statement.

“This reflects the department’s commitment to ensuring the smooth operation of Victorian prisons while prioritising the safety of both prisoners and staff.

“Recognising the highly addictive nature of nicotine, Corrections Victoria aims to facilitate a structured transition period for prisoners, allowing them sufficient time to adjust and access necessary support services.”

Corrections Victoria said that those withdrawing from nicotine would have access to “health services and support systems”, and those currently using patches would be given a two-week extension to the ban.

Nicotine patches have been used widely in Victorian prisons since cigarettes were banned in 2015.

The patches have been banned reportedly due to potential misuse, primarily in the boiling of them to extract the nicotine to then be smoked as “tea-bacco”.

Nicotine patches have also been banned in prisons in New South Wales, Queensland and the Northern Territory.

Lewis says that the removal of nicotine therapy for people in prison is “really concerning”.

“My concern is that people are going to have to withdraw from nicotine use really quickly at a really stressful time, and it’s not clear what options are going to be given to them to help them withdraw,” Lewis says.

“That really contravenes all the evidence. It’s clear that public health approaches to addiction are superior to highly securitised options.”

The federal government’s National Tobacco Strategy 2023-2030 lists people in prison as a priority group, and recommends more support be given to them to assist in quitting smoking, including through access to nicotine replacement therapy.

“The removal of the evidence-based option appears to contradict the national tobacco strategy itself,” Lewis says.

“In addition to not providing equivalent healthcare, it’s failing to acknowledge that people in prison are explicitly identified as a priority group.

“We know what works to reduce tobacco use and evidence-based cessation options are the best way forward, rather than enforcing outright bans that really contravene the public health advice.”

People in prison are disproportionately more likely to be smokers, while most prisons have been smoking. According to a 2022 AIHW report, 58 out of the 73 participating prisons had banned smoking.

According to that report, 64% of people entering prison were daily smokers, compared to 12% of the wider population.

The outright banning emphasises a cultural problem with the management of prisons, Lewis says.

“The main problem with culture inside prisons is that security comes first all the time,” she says.

“The prison environment is extraordinarily securitised, rather than an approach focused on rehabilitation and public health.

“It’s another example of how our failure to provide equivalent healthcare in the prison system has these ramifications for people in prison and their families.”