Australia To Ban Disposable Vape Imports From January

Following the announcement that the Australian government would be taking strong steps to address the growing issue of youth nicotine addiction, it has now been revealed that a ban on the import of disposable vapes is officially set to kick in from January 2024.

Starting January 1, the ban on disposable vapes will be in effect, followed by additional measures in March covering all non-therapeutic vapes, including refillable devices.

Health Minister Mark Butler is leading the charge against the rising popularity of these nicotine-filled devices, particularly among young Australians.

The ban, targeting disposable vapes with enticing designs and flavours, aims to disrupt the easy access young people have to these products, Minister Butler said that vapes are not tools for quitting smoking but are intentionally designed to attract kids to nicotine addiction.

"All Australian governments are committed to working together to stop the disturbing growth in vaping among our young people," said Butler of the crackdown.

The government is committing an extra A$75 million to empower authorities in enforcing these regulations, highlighting the seriousness of the public health concern.

This decisive action comes as a response to statistics revealing the prevalence of vaping among teenagers despite existing restrictions, with a study from the University of Sydney indicating that over 25% of teenagers aged 14-17 have experimented with vaping.

Back in May, when the crackdown was first announced, Butler declared that “vaping has become a menace in our schools and society”.

He continued, “Just like they did with smoking, Big Tobacco has taken another addictive product, wrapped it in shiny packaging and added flavours to create a new generation of nicotine addicts. Vapers are three times as likely to take up smoking, which explains why under 25s are the only cohort in the community currently recording an increase in smoking rates.”