The flavours and colors of vapes and their sale in comfort shops shall be restricted amongst a variety of measures the federal authorities is proposing to cut back the behavior described as a brand new menace to public well being.
The Albanese authorities will embody $234m in subsequent Tuesday’s finances to fund the brand new measures to guard Australians in opposition to the hurt brought on by tobacco and vaping merchandise.
The authorities may even work with states and territories to shut down the sale of vapes in retail settings, together with comfort shops, whereas additionally making it simpler to get a prescription for respectable therapeutic use.
Federal Health Minister Mark Butler will on Tuesday announce the federal government is proposing stronger regulation and enforcement of all e-cigarettes, together with new controls on their importation, contents and packaging.
Other measures proposed embody stopping the import of non-prescription vapes; requiring pharmaceutical-like packaging; lowering the allowed nicotine concentrations and volumes; and banning all single use, disposable vapes.
Mr Butler stated the vaping product was being taken up principally by younger individuals.
“This is a product targeted at our kids, sold alongside lollies and chocolate bars,” he’s anticipated to say in an tackle to the National Press Club.
“Vaping has become the number one behavioural issue in high schools. And it’s becoming widespread in primary schools.”
Mr Butler stated one in six youngsters aged between 14 and 16 and one in 4 Australians aged between 18 and 24 had vaped.
“Vaping was sold to governments and communities around the world as a therapeutic product to help long-term smokers quit,” Mr Butler will say.
“It was not sold as a recreational product — especially not one for our kids. But that is what it has become: the biggest loophole in Australian history.”
He stated vapes include 200 poisonous chemical substances that don’t belong within the lungs, “the same chemicals you’ll find in nail polish remover and weed killer,”
“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.”
He stated Australia had considerably lowered smoking charges over the previous decade, significantly because the introduction of the plain packaging for cigarettes.
“But unfortunately, even the gains we have already made could be undone by a new threat to public health,” he’ll say.
Vapers are 3 times as more likely to take up smoking.
“Vaping is creating a whole new generation of nicotine addicts. It poses a major threat to Australia’s success in tobacco control and the Albanese government is not going to stand by and let this happen,” Mr Butler will say.
The finances will embody $63m for an proof primarily based public well being info marketing campaign to discourage Australians from taking on smoking and vaping and encourage extra individuals to give up.
There shall be $30m invested in help packages to assist Australians give up, and training and coaching in smoking and nicotine cessation amongst well being practitioners shall be strengthened.
An extra $140 million for the Tackling Indigenous Smoking (TIS) program which shall be prolonged and in addition widened to cut back vaping amongst First Nations individuals.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
