Australia can also be planning laws to ban the manufacture, promoting or provide of disposable vapes.
Australia will bar imports of single-use e-cigarettes beginning subsequent yr, cracking down on the nicotine merchandise which can be well-liked with youth.
The ban will come into impact on January 1, Australia’s authorities introduced on Tuesday, including that it’ll additionally introduce laws in 2024 to ban the manufacture, promoting or provide of disposable vapes.
Australian well being officers welcomed the curb on vapes, which they mentioned had been pitched as a instrument to assist long-term people who smoke give up however advanced right into a harmful “leisure product”.
“It was not offered as a leisure product, particularly not one focused to our children, however that’s what it has change into,” Well being Minister Mark Butler mentioned.
“The nice majority of vapes include nicotine, and youngsters have gotten addicted.”
The Australian Medical Affiliation hailed the federal government’s “decisive motion to cease vaping in its tracks”.
About one in seven kids aged 14-17 makes use of vapes, Australia’s authorities mentioned in an announcement.
The federal government additionally mentioned there was “constant proof” that younger Australians who vape are about 3 times extra prone to take up tobacco smoking.
‘Gateway’ to tobacco smoking
Kim Caudwell, a senior lecturer in psychology at Australia’s Charles Darwin College, warned vaping can function a “harmful gateway” to tobacco smoking for some youth.
“You possibly can perceive how on the inhabitants stage, elevated vaping and a resurgence of tobacco use will influence inhabitants well being sooner or later,” Caudwell mentioned.
Regardless of the brand new restrictions, Australia’s authorities mentioned it could introduce a scheme to allow medical doctors and nurses to prescribe vapes “the place clinically acceptable” from January 1.
Australia has an extended report of combating smoking. In 2012, it turned the primary nation to introduce “plain packaging” legal guidelines for cigarettes – a coverage since copied by France, Britain and others.
Excessive taxes have pushed up the value of a packet to about 50 Australian {dollars} (US$33).
Neighbouring New Zealand till not too long ago stood alongside Australia on the forefront of the battle.
However its new conservative coalition authorities, which took energy this week, has now promised to scrap a so-called “generational smoking ban” that might have stopped gross sales of tobacco to anybody born after 2008.
