In efforts to clamp down on nicotine addiction in children, Australia plans to ban the import of disposable vapes from January, while new laws to stop single-use vapes from being made, advertised and supplied will also be introduced.
BBC reports that the measures are amid a broader push to phase out recreational vaping completely in the country.
While vaping has been marketed as a way to quit smoking, the Health Minister says it has, instead, created a “new generation of nicotine dependency”.
The import ban on disposable vapes will start on 1 January, and by March, refillable non-therapeutic vapes will also be banned from entering the country. Importers and manufacturers supplying therapeutic vapes will also have to comply with tighter government regulation concerning the flavours, nicotine levels and packaging of their products.
Experts have warned that not enough is known yet about the long-term impacts of vaping.
Research from Johns Hopkins University several years ago linked vaping to chronic lung disease and asthma.
And in Australia, scientists who have studied the liquids used in vapes have warned that they contain “a suite of chemicals” known to impact lung health.
BBC News article – Vaping: Australia to ban disposable vape imports from January (Open access)
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
Anti-vaping research drowns out harm reduction advocates in Australia
Vaping scourge among children prompts long-term health effects study
Alarming results from New Zealand’s biggest youth vaping survey
Chronic e-cigarette users may risk pulmonary damage: small US study