National health ministers are pushing for strict anti-vaping laws

Australia’s health ministers are pushing for tough vaping laws to prevent devastating effects on children’s health. Source: The new everyday.

Last month, legislation was introduced to stop the import, manufacture, supply and commercial possession of single-use disposable vapes, making the e-cigarettes only available from pharmacies with a prescription.

The crackdown would also result in jail sentences or fines of up to $2.2 million for violations.

Health ministers from all jurisdictions have called on the Australian parliament to pass the legislation – which would come into effect from July – amid a growing youth nicotine crisis, similar to smoking five decades ago.

“Australian Health Ministers will not stand by and allow history to repeat itself,” the health ministers said in a joint statement on Friday.

They are concerned about the impact vaping is having on Australian children because of the ease of access and how readily available e-cigarettes are – most are sold in convenience stores, often near schools.

“It is now clear that vaping is being used to recruit a new generation of nicotine addiction, and it is working,” they said.

The latest national data shows that one in six high school students have recently vaped and that young people who do so are three times more likely to start smoking.

Federal Health Minister Mark Butler said the bill is not about a ban, but about regulation and returning the devices to what they were originally sold for: therapeutic products.

The Australia Medical Association supports legislation to get e-cigarettes out of the hands of children as an opportunity to protect their health.

The legislation still needs to be passed by parliament and the coalition and the Greens have made their position known.

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Fears that history is repeating itself with vaping use among children (by Savannah Meacham, MONKEY through The new everyday)