This story has been updated. The Australian Tobacco Harm Reduction Association quoted in the article has previously received ‘seed’ funding from e-cigarette companies Nicopharm and Nicovape.

In a statement sent to Australian Doctor on Wednesday it said its current policy is not to accept donations from “tobacco companies or their subsidiaries or from the vape industry“.

The RACGP has backed vaping as a “reasonable” second-line treatment for patients who want to quit smoking but have not succeeded with pharmacological therapies.

In its updated guidelines, released on Tuesday, the college stresses that doctors should only make the recommendation after the patient has raised the subject themselves and the patient has been provided with enough context to make an informed decision.