Australia To Ban Disposable, Single-Use Vape Imports From January

The government will provide an additional A$75 million to the Australian Border Force and the Therapeutic Goods Administration to enforce the new rules.

Australia will ban imports of disposable vapes from January

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New Delhi: Australia will ban imports of disposable vapes from January as part of its initiative to combat nicotine addiction among young people, the Health Minister said on Tuesday.

Health Minister Mark Butler said that the ban will be expanded in March to include all non-therapeutic vapes, including refillable devices, while importers of vapes for medical purposes will need a permit from the Office of Drug Control, reported Reuters.

The government will provide an additional A$75 million to the Australian Border Force and the Therapeutic Goods Administration to enforce the new rules.

Additional legislation next year will apply the same prohibitions to domestic manufacturers, reported Reuters.

Addressing a press conference, Butler said, "These are the vapes that have pink unicorns on them, bubblegum flavouring, disguised in order for them to hide them in their pencil cases."

"This is not a therapeutic good to help hardened smokers kick the habit. This is a good that is deliberately targeted at kids to recruit them to nicotine addiction."

Despite one of the lowest rates of smoking in the OECD, a group of mostly rich countries, vaping in Australia is growing rapidly, especially among the young. Around one in five people aged 18 to 24 vape, according to government data, reported Reuters.

According to BBC, a study from the University of Sydney earlier this year found that over a quarter of teenagers aged 14-17 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.

According to Reuters, to ensure the bans don't limit access for smokers looking to quit, doctors and nurses will be given expanded powers in January to prescribe therapeutic vapes where clinically appropriate.

However, therapeutic vapes will be restricted from using flavours, have limited nicotine levels, and be sold in pharmaceutical packaging under new rules to be introduced next year, with a transition period for manufacturers to comply.