Metropolis Desk-
Australia announced on Tuesday that it will prohibit the importation of disposable vaporizers as of January 1. Physicians immediately applauded this drastic measure. Health Minister Mark Butler stated that the ban on single-use vapes is intended to reverse a “disturbing” rise in youth vaping.
Although Australia first made the import ban public in May, a start date has not yet been provided.
Governments had been pitched on vaping as a means of helping chronic smokers stop, according to Butler.
“It was not sold as a recreational product, especially not one targeted to our kids, but that is what it has become,” said the minister.
“The great majority of vapes contain nicotine, and children are becoming addicted.” According to a government statement, one in seven kids between the ages of 14 and 17 vapes.
“Consistent evidence” was cited, indicating that vaping increases the risk of tobacco smoking by approximately three times among young Australians.
The Australian government has announced that legislation prohibiting the production, promotion, or distribution of disposable vaporizers will be introduced in 2024.
The Australian Medical Association applauded the import ban.
“Australia has been a world leader in reducing smoking rates and the subsequent health harms, so the government’s decisive action to stop vaping in its tracks and prevent further harm is very welcome,” Steve Robson, president of the association, said.
‘Dangerous gateway’
The government announced that starting on January 1, physicians and nurses would be able to prescribe vapes “where clinically appropriate” under a new program.
Australia’s history of combating smoking is extensive.
It was the first nation to enact “plain packaging” regulations for cigarettes in 2012; France, Britain, and other nations have since adopted similar laws.
The cost of a packet has increased to approximately Aus$50 (US$33) due to high taxes.
Up until recently, Australia and neighboring New Zealand were at the vanguard of the conflict.
However, a so-called “generational smoking ban” that would have prohibited the sale of tobacco to anyone born after 2008 has now been abandoned by the country’s new conservative coalition government, which assumed power this week.
Senior lecturer in psychology at Australia’s Charles Darwin University Kim Caudwell said that vaping is a “dangerous gateway” to tobacco smoking for some individuals who would never have smoked otherwise.
“So you can understand how at the population level, increased vaping and a resurgence of tobacco use will impact population health in the future.”
Source- Reuters
