On November 28, Australian Health Minister Mark Butler said that starting from January 2024, the country will further tighten controls on e-cigarettes in a plan worth nearly 82 million AUD to reduce the number of young people using e-cigarettes.
Accordingly, starting from the beginning of 2024, Australia will ban the import of disposable e-cigarettes. At the same time, from this time, Australia will only allow the sale of e-cigarettes to people with a doctor's prescription.
From 1 March 2024, Australia will also not allow anyone to bring e-cigarettes into the country from abroad; prohibit the import of e-cigarettes that are not on the list prescribed by a doctor; require manufacturers and importers of e-cigarettes to notify authorities of imported products that meet quality standards; those who want to import e-cigarettes must apply for a permit from Australian authorities.
Australia will also ban the manufacture, advertising, supply and possession of non-medical and disposable e-cigarettes in the country by 2024. Next year, Australia will also introduce additional standards for therapeutic e-cigarettes, including limiting flavours, reducing nicotine levels and packaging them like pharmaceutical products.
The ban on disposable e-cigarettes is aimed at reducing the “worrying” rise in e-cigarette use among young people in the country, Health Minister Mark Butler said.
Minister Butler said that e-cigarettes were once seen by governments as a way to help long-term smokers kick the habit. “They were not marketed as a recreational product, and certainly not as a product for our children, but now they are. Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine and young people are becoming addicted,” he said.
According to statistics, in recent years, the rate of young people using e-cigarettes in Australia has increased rapidly. Statistics for the first quarter of 2023 show that in Australia, about 14% of children aged 4 to 17 and 20% of people aged 18 to 24 use e-cigarettes. Data in Australia also shows that the rate of people who have used e-cigarettes and switched to tobacco has increased 3 times compared to those who have not used e-cigarettes. This fact has made Australian Health Minister Mark Butler determined to further tighten the control of e-cigarettes.
Australian Medical Association President Steve Robson praised the decision: “Australia is a world leader in reducing smoking rates and subsequent health risks, so the government’s decisive action to prevent the current situation of e-cigarette use and the harmful effects of this habit is very welcome.”
Along with measures to reduce the number of people using e-cigarettes, the Australian government will also spend nearly 30 million AUD to support people who want to quit smoking and e-cigarettes.
Minh Hoa (reported by VOV, Tin Tuc newspaper)
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