AUSTRALIA ENACTS NEW VAPING REGULATIONS, RESTRICTS E-CIGARETTES TO PHARMACIES

Tue 02 July 2024:

New vaping regulations took effect in Australia on Monday, requiring e-cigarettes to be sold only behind pharmacy counters to curb youth vaping, although a stricter prohibition was scaled back due to opposition.

The laws, passed last week, limit vape sales to pharmacies where customers must consult with the pharmacist before purchasing. Those under 18 will need a prescription.

The Labor party had to revise a more restrictive plan that would have limited sales to those with a medical prescription after Greens senators expressed concerns about access for those trying to quit smoking and the potential strain on the health system. A three-month delay in implementing this compromise means customers over 18 will need a prescription until October, after which the requirement will lapse.

“I think it doesn’t really make that much sense, especially if they’re going to be changing it again in October,” Sydney resident Sarah Harris told Reuters. “I think it’s just going to make people go for black market vapes or try to get vapes through their friends or online, or whatever the other routes of purchasing them are.”

The regulations target youth vaping in Australia, where about 22% of 18-24 year-olds reported using e-cigarettes or vaping devices at least once, according to data from last year. Besides restricting sales to pharmacies, the laws also limit nicotine concentration in vapes and restrict flavors to mint, menthol, or tobacco.

Australia, known for its strict anti-smoking laws and high tobacco taxes, already banned most vape imports earlier this year. Importers now need licenses from the government drug control body.

Despite the regulations, vapes are still widely available in small stores and seen in pubs and bars, but the government claims its enforcement efforts are removing hundreds of thousands from circulation. In April, Health Minister Mark Butler reported that border police had seized more than 1.5 million illegal vapes.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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