Australian Politicians Concerned Children Are Getting Their Hands on Illegal Vapes

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The Coalition has raised concerns children are getting their hands on vapes in Australia, despite the government banning the import of disposable vapes.

In January, it became illegal in Australia to import disposable single use vapes under the federal government’s vaping reform.

However, Warren Entsch, who is the Liberal National member for Leichhardt in Queensland, raised concerns there is now more underage children buying vapes in convenience stores near schools.

“Everywhere you go you see them. The problem with these places is they sell for cash—in fact, some of them have got ATMs … so these people are selling them at ridiculously low prices, so everybody knows who they are,” Mr. Entsch said on Sky News.

He also said in quotes cited by the Sydney Morning Herald, “We’ve got to get this stuff out of the hands of the kids.”

“It’s a disgrace. And it’s having a huge impact on legitimate businesses that comply with the law,” Mr. Entsch said.

Australian Border Force (ABF) seized more than 13 million tonnes of disposable vapes from entering the community in late January, Health Minister Mark Butler revealed.

“Our vaping policy to that came into effect on 1 January to ban the importation of disposable single use vapes is working,” Mr. Butler said at the time.

“Before our government changed the loopholes in existing laws, millions and millions of disposable vapes were able to flood into Australia—vapes that are deliberately marketed at our children.

“Single use disposable vapes are brightly coloured and bubble gum flavoured, intended to entice young kids who are using them. This is all part of a Big Tobacco’s plan to recruit a new generation to nicotine addiction.”

However, Coalition member for Herbert Phillip Thompson told Nine Newspapers he is concerned “illicit trade is skyrocketing.”

“There’s a lot of people in the Coalition that are concerned with pop-up illegal tobacco stores and vapes sold to kids. We want to have a policy that will stop that,” he said.

“The whole approach the government is taking, to me, doesn’t make sense. I don’t want to see the illegal market explode, especially in the regions, where police have already told me they can’t police it.”

Government Urged Australians to Quit Vaping

In the new year, the health minister urged vapers to quit the habit as a new year’s resolution, noting the government was taking “world leading action” to crack down on it.

“Vaping is creating a whole new generation of nicotine dependency in our community, especially amongst young Australians. If you vape, this New Year make it your resolution to quit,” he said.

“This is just the first chapter of the governments vaping reform, the supply of vapes coming into Australia will gradually dry up over the course of 2024, for this reason we strongly encourage all recreational vapers to begin their journey of cessation.

“The Albanese government is taking world leading action to stamp out vaping—to protect a new generation of kids from getting hooked on nicotine.”

Doctors and nurse practitioners are still able to prescribe therapeutic vaping products to help people quit smoking and vaping.