Australia cracks down on vapes, e-cigarettes to stop ‘next generation of nicotine addicts’

Australia will ban single-use disposable vapes, halt imports of non-prescription versions, and restrict how much nicotine e-cigarettes may contain

‘Vaping was sold as a therapeutic product to help long-term smokers quit. It was not sold as a recreational product,’ the health minister said

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Australia will still allow people to use vapes, with a prescription, as a tool to help them quit cigarettes. Photo: Winson Wong

Published: 11:12am, 2 May 2023Updated: 3:22pm, 2 May 2023

Australia announced a sweeping crackdown on vaping on Tuesday, accusing tobacco companies of hooking the next “generation of nicotine addicts” by deliberately targeting teenagers.

Billed as the country’s largest anti-smoking reforms in a decade, Australia will ban single-use disposable vapes, halt imports of non-prescription versions, and restrict how much nicotine e-cigarettes may contain.

Australia has long been at the vanguard of attempts to stamp out smoking, and in 2012 became the first country to introduce “plain packaging” laws for cigarettes – a policy since copied by France, Britain and others.

But in recent years, Australia has struggled to contain the explosion in recreational vaping, particularly among teenagers.

Cigarettes on sale in Sydney in 2012. Australia became the first country that year to introduce “plain packaging” laws for cigarettes. Photo: AFP

“Vaping has become the number one behavioural issue in high schools. And it’s becoming widespread in primary schools,” Health Minister Mark Butler said in a speech excerpt.

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