Australia is to ban recreational vaping as part of a massive campaign to tackle what experts are calling an “epidemic” in this sector. In addition, minimum quality requirements will be implemented and only pharmacies will be allowed to sell vaping products.
Australia already requires a prescription for nicotine vapes, but the industry is unregulated and the black market is growing. According to the Australian Minister of Health, Mark Butler, these articles promote the emergence of a new generation of nicotine addicts.
Vapes, also known as e-cigarettes, heat a liquid to make a vapor that users inhale, the liquid usually containing nicotine. They are often seen as a product to help smokers quit smoking. But they have become extremely popular in Australia as a recreational product, especially among young people in urban areas.
In a speech announcing the reforms on Tuesday, Mr Butler said: ‘Just like they did with tobacco…Big Tobacco’ took another addictive product, wrapped it in shiny wrapper and added flavorings to it. sweetened to create a new generation of nicotine addicts. We have been duped.
Because they contain no harmful tobacco, vapes are considered safer than regular cigarettes. In fact, the UK government distributes them for free to some smokers as part of its “swap to stop” scheme.
The Australian government says they pose a danger to public health, especially among young people, many of whom have never smoked.
Butler, 52, said: “Only one in 70 my age has vaped.”
According to research, 1 in 6 Australians aged 14-17 and 1 in 4 Australians aged 18-24 vape.
He claimed that these products are readily available “alongside lollipops and candy bars” in retail stores and are deliberately marketed to children.
Vaping has become the “number one behavioral problem” in high schools, he continued. Vape detectors have started to be installed in toilets, according to Australian media.
According to the health minister, the federal government will work with state and territory governments on potential fines for possession of e-cigarettes unless a prescription has been issued.
Australia already has the strictest anti-smoking regulations in the world. On Tuesday, Mr Butler linked the new vaping rules to moves to bring Australia’s smoking rate down to one of the lowest levels among industrialized nations.
The changes include a restriction on the importation of over-the-counter items and a ban on all disposable vaping products.
Vaping products that are still authorized will require a prescription and their packaging will have to resemble that of a pharmacy. New restrictions will also apply to flavors, colors, nicotine levels and other ingredients.
“No more chewing gum flavors, pink unicorns or vapes disguised as highlighters so kids can hide them in their pencil case,” he said.
He added, however, that the government would also make it easier to obtain a prescription for “legitimate therapeutic use”.
A later date will be specified for the publication of an implementation schedule.
Other countries, such as Singapore and Thailand, have also banned vaping, and the Therapeutic Goods Administration, Australia’s pharmaceutical regulator, has urged reform.
2023-05-02 13:31:46
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