SYDNEY: Starting in January, Australia will enforce a prohibition on disposable vape imports as part of a strategy to combat nicotine addiction in young individuals.
The new legislation will extend to ceasing the production, promotion, and distribution of single-use vapes within the country. This initiative aligns with broader efforts to completely phase out recreational vaping. Despite its initial promotion as a smoking cessation tool, the country’s health minister contends that vaping has fostered a fresh wave of nicotine dependence among users.
E-cigarettes, or vapes, operate on lithium batteries and house cartridges containing nicotine, artificial flavours, and a medley of other chemicals. Since 2021, it has been unlawful for any Australian to buy or import e-cigarettes or nicotine vapes without a doctor’s prescription. Nonetheless, addiction rates have persistently soared, with a University of Sydney study earlier this year revealing that over a quarter of 14 to 17-year-olds had experimented with vaping. Furthermore, research conducted by Australia’s Cancer Council charity disclosed that nine out of 10 teenagers in the same age bracket found it effortless to obtain nicotine vapes.
Mark Butler, the federal health minister leading the ban, underscored the collective commitment of all Australian governments to arrest the troubling surge of vaping among the youth. In a recent announcement, he detailed the implementation of the import prohibition on disposable vapes commencing on January 1. Additionally, by March, the country will bar the entry of refillable non-therapeutic vapes. Importers and manufacturers supplying therapeutic vapes will face stricter government regulations concerning flavours, nicotine concentrations, and packaging of their products.
While vaping’s long-term effects remain insufficiently understood, studies from institutions like Johns Hopkins University have linked the practice to chronic lung ailments and asthma. Australian scientists examining vape liquids have cautioned about the presence of a cluster of chemicals known to impact lung health.
Australia’s decision comes on the heels of New Zealand’s government overturning its pioneering smoking ban to finance tax reductions.
