Vaping has exploded in popularity in the last decade. Yet governments across Australia have reacted by banning vapes containing nicotine.
Instead of fixing the problem this has just made it worse.
NSW now has a thriving black market for nicotine vapes leading to products with unknown ingredients and incredibly high levels of nicotine. Even worse, black market retailers don’t ask for ID, so it’s easier than ever for people under 18 to access nicotine products.
Nicotine vaping is legal and widely available in the UK, US, Canada, New Zealand and the European Union. Australia remains the only country in the world that requires a prescription to access nicotine vaping products.
Only through regulation can we prohibit harmful chemicals in vapes, limit nicotine content and, most importantly keep vapes out of the hands of minors.