Australia: Australian authorities will ban imports of disposable vapes from January, which comes as part of efforts to curb nicotine addiction in children.
The country will further introduce new rules to stop single-use vapes from being made, advertised, and supplied. The move comes amid a broader push to eliminate recreational vaping completely.
Vaping has been marketed as a way to quit smoking. But, according to Australia’s Health Minister, Mr. Mark Butler, it has created a “new generation of nicotine dependency.”
Vapes, or e-cigarettes, are lithium battery-powered devices that have cartridges filled with liquids containing nicotine, artificial flavourings, and a range of other chemicals.
Since 2021, it has been illegal for any Australian to purchase or import e-cigarettes or nicotine vapes without a doctor’s prescription. However, despite those restrictions, rates of addiction have continued to skyrocket.
Earlier in 2023, a study from the University of Sydney found that over a quarter of teenagers aged 14 to 17 had vaped, while research from Australia’s Cancer Council charity found that nine out of 10 teenagers in the same age group found it easy to access nicotine vapes.
“All Australian governments are committed to working together to stop the disturbing growth in vaping among our young people,” the Health Minister who is leading the ban commented.
Mr. Butler noted that the import ban on disposable vapes will start on January 1, and refillable, non-therapeutic vapes will be banned from entering the country by March.
Furthermore, importers and manufacturers supplying therapeutic vapes will also have to comply with tighter government regulations concerning the flavours, nicotine levels, and packaging of their products.
Australia’s announcement comes just days after New Zealand’s government scrapped its world-leading smoking ban to pay for tax cuts.
TOP PICKS | Musk’s X files lawsuit against Media Matters for defamation
