VicHealth welcomes landmark import ban on vaping

VicHealth strongly commends the Australian Government’s plan to introduce a ban on the importation of disposable single use vapes from 1 January 2024.

VicHealth CEO, Dr Sandro Demaio said the ban is a vital step in protecting future generations from the harms created by Big Tobacco and Big Vape. 

“We applaud Minister Butler, the Australian Government and state governments for working together to take strong, decisive action to protect young people from the dangers of vaping,” Dr Demaio said.

“It’s no accident that e-cigarette use, and smoking are rising among young people. Big Vape and Big Tobacco are using every trick in the book to hook a new generation of young people on nicotine.”

“This ban, along with other crucial vaping reforms to roll out in 2024, will help protect young Australians from the dangers of vaping, and once again place Australia as a global leader in tobacco control.”

VicHealth strongly supports the Government’s commitment to the following in 2024 and beyond:

• Introduce product standards for therapeutic vapes that limit flavours, packaging and reducing allowable nicotine content.
• Preventing domestic manufacture, advertising, supply and commercial possession of non-therapeutic and disposable single use vapes.
• Monitoring and preventing illegal importation and supply of non-prescription e-cigarettes in Australia.
• Raising public awareness about the health impacts of e-cigarettes .

VicHealth is committed to working alongside all levels of government to protect, support and educate a new generation of Australians about the dangers of nicotine addiction.

“E-cigarettes can contain up to 200 toxic chemicals, including those found in rat poison and weed killer. These dangerous substances can cause cancer and impair brain function. They don’t belong in our lungs,” Dr Demaio said.

This announcement coincides with the launch of the Future Healthy Countdown 2023, a new national framework for measuring the health and wellbeing of Australia’s children and young people.

The first issue of the Future Healthy Countdown 2030, published in the Medical Journal of Australia last week, highlights key changes we need now to improve health and wellbeing for Australian children and young people – including higher standards to protect our kids from marketing of harmful products, like vaping. 

Learn more about the framework on the VicHealth website: vichealth.vic.gov.au/news-publications/research-publications/future-healthy-countdown

Media contact:
Shannon Crane [email protected] 0432 157 270