Why vaping ban should go up in a puff of smoke
Prohibition has dangerous effect on black market, writes Theo Foukkare
Australia’s booming nicotine vape black market will continue to grow at alarming rates if the federal government does not take urgent regulatory action now. As it stands, the current policy of prohibition of vaping has turned everyday adults into common criminals as they turn to the black market to access nicotine vapes, such as the ones pictured above, to try and give up smoking.
Australia is one of the only firstworld countries to ban the sale of nicotine vapes without a prescription, and frankly, this failed prohibition-style model is leading to a growing illegal industry that is becoming increasingly difficult to manage. It can only be brought under control by proper regulation.
We’ve heard time and time again from people who can’t find a prescribing GP to get their vapes – and even if they do, they’re mostly unable to get their prescription filled because hardly any chemists stock them, despite being a proven adult smoking cessation tool.
Our research shows that only 10 per cent of adult consumers are using the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) prescription model as intended, with the vast majority of vapers turning elsewhere for their products.
The black market here is booming because the more than 1.2 million Aussie adults who choose to vape can only buy unregulated, often dangerous, products online because the government refuses to address the situation responsibly.
Submissions to the TGA on possible changes to the way nicotine vapes are accessed closed on January 16, with the Australian Association of Convenience Stores – among many organisations and individuals – calling for the federal government to legalise the responsible sale of highly regulated vape products as a smoking cessation product.
Our members are trusted to sell tobacco products responsibly to adults, and they are also able to sell quit-smoking aids like nicotine inhalers, patches and gum.
If our members were able to sell identifiable, properly regulated nicotine vapes to adults, where ingredients must be stipulated, flavouring and packaging regulations complied with – just as they are with tobacco – we’d be able to stave off the black market.
That would go a long way to stopping these predators from targeting our kids with vapes that contain unknown ingredients.
New Zealand and the UK have recently legalised the sale of nicotine vapes to adults, with product manufacturers and retailers made to comply with strict regulations and standards.
Those countries have seen a huge decline in tobacco smoking and the vape black market in those countries has been reduced considerably.
It’s time for Australian officials to reflect on how we got to this position, remove prohibition, which has historically never worked with any product, and take control of this issue in a responsible manner now.