Australia To Ban Recreational Vaping In Major Smoking Reform

In news that’ll surely have your most nicotine-dependent mates sweating under the collar, the federal government has announced a ban on recreational vaping and single-use disposable vapes as part of a sweeping crackdown that’ll also increase the excise on tobacco to 5% over the next three years (set to generate over $3 billion in tax revenue for Australia).

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has proposed a road map following community and health group consultation to address the “biggest loophole in Australian healthcare history.” Effectively, this will entail introducing minimum quality standards, prohibiting the importation of all non-pharmaceutical vaping products, as well as restricting the purchase of said products to those with prescriptions.

“Vaping was sold to governments and communities around the world as a therapeutic product to help long-term smokers quit,” Health Minister Mark Butler told the National Press Club (via ABC).

“Just like they did with smoking… Big Tobacco has taken another addictive product, wrapped it in shiny packaging, and added sweet flavours to create a new generation of nicotine addicts. We have been duped.”

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“These are supposed to be pharmaceutical products. They have to present that way – no more bubblegum flavours, pink unicorns, or vapes disguised as pens for kids to hide in pencil cases. Instead, we will have plain packaging with plain flavours.”

While vapes are generally considered safer than ordinary cigarettes due to the lack of harmful tobacco, health experts maintain that vapes aren’t completely free of consequence. Aside from containing “more than 200” chemicals that simply do not belong in human lungs, the long-term implications have yet to be seen.

Butler added: “Vaping has now become the number one behavioural issue in high schools and it is becoming widespread in primary schools as well. Over the past 12 months, Victoria’s poisons hotline has taken 50 calls about children under the age of four ingesting vapes. Under the age of four.

“If we knew what we know now back then when cigarettes were being introduced, I would hope that the government would have snuffed it out immediately, which is what I want to do to vapes.”

Enjoy ’em while you still can.