Read articles from Australia

December 07, 2023 by theguardian.com

Over the past four years, David has made complaints to his local council, police, the Australian Taxation Office and federal and state politicians about the illicit tobacco and vape store that opened across the road from his home. With a “cash only” sign, vapes visible on the shelves through the windows, and people frequently leaving the store carrying illicit tobacco packets in plain sight, David says even the local police have acknowledged that illegal trade is occurring. He says it is one of the busiest stores in his small town in the Gippsland region of Victoria, east of Melbourne. And that angers him, he says, “because I pay my taxes every year”.

December 05, 2023 by colinmendelsohn.com.au

WHAT IS THE LIKELY OUTCOME from Mark Butler’s draconian restrictions on vaping? Having dusted off my crystal ball, here’s my take: Butler's ban is likely to fail, setting the stage for an eventual shift towards a more progressive vaping policy in 2025.

The key elements of Butler’s crackdown are

• Continued enforcement of the failed prescription model
• Restrictive product standards: only tobacco or mint flavours, a likely maximum nicotine limit of 20mg/mL and pharmaceutical-style packaging
• A complete ban on disposable vaping products
• Prohibition of personal importation of vaping liquids and devices
• Mandatory pre-approval for all legal products by manufacturers or importers.

November 28, 2023 by smh.com.au

Disposable vapes won’t be allowed into Australia from New Year’s Day under the federal government’s bold plans to stop a new generation becoming addicted to nicotine. Australia’s ambition to become the first country to limit vaping to people with a prescription will be rolled out in several phases next year, starting with an import ban on single-use products and an expanded access scheme for medical use from the start of 2024.

November 21, 2023 by theguardian.com

Lobby groups representing convenience and grocery stores have refused to tell a Senate inquiry how much they receive in tobacco and vaping industry funding. The failure to disclose industry funding – with the lobby groups saying they owe a duty of confidence over the information – follows public hearings into the public health (tobacco and other products) bill earlier in November and comes as concerns are raised about one lobby group having a parliamentary access pass.

November 17, 2023 by colinmendelsohn.com.au

NEW EVIDENCE-BASED GUIDELINES on vaping have been released by the UK National Centre for Smoking Cessation and Training to educate health professionals about vaping and to encourage them to assist smokers to quit with vaping. The guidelines were prepared by a team of UK and international experts in the field. The briefing (available here) is also a valuable aid to Australian health professionals. Most Australian doctors remain misinformed about vaping and very few are able to provide support for smokers, raising fears among vapers that they will not be able to access prescriptions and legal vaping supplies when the new regulations are introduced.

November 14, 2023 by colinmendelsohn.com.au

REGULATING NICOTINE VAPES AS ADULT-ONLY consumer products like cigarettes would not only benefit public health but would also be a significant boost to the Australian economy. This blog explores the economic impact of bringing Australian policy into line with other advanced countries such as NZ, the UK, EU and Canada.

November 08, 2023 by colinmendelsohn.com.au

Health Minister Mark Butler highlighted legitimate concerns about youth vaping. However his proposed solutions could undermine public health and miss the chance to leverage vaping as a cessation tool for adult smokers. [...] The crux of the issue is Australia's flawed vaping regulation. The current regulations have created a thriving black market which make vapes readily accessible for young people. The prescription-only model for vaping has been opposed by healthcare professionals and rejected by the public. It has created a booming black market, complete with violence and criminal activity, and a proliferation of substandard, unregulated products sold to minors.

November 03, 2023 by gfn.tv

The evidence is clear: vaping is far safer than smoking, and vaping is a much more effective quitting aid than traditional nicotine replacement therapies. But many regulators and key stakeholders remain unconvinced. In this episode, Colin Mendelsohn discusses his recent review exploring the evidence behind vaping and the way forward for nicotine in Australia.

November 02, 2023 by theguardian.com

Children are sleeping with vaping devices under their pillow because they are so addicted to nicotine they can’t get through the night without a hit, a hearing into tobacco reforms has heard. Speaking on behalf of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (Racgp), Dr Hester Wilson said young people are being “inundated” with advertisements promoting vaping on social media and are grappling with nicotine addiction.

October 27, 2023 by abc.net.au

Victorian police have raided 16 regional tobacco shops in a crackdown on organised crime syndicates linked to illicit tobacco. Accompanied by Australian Border Force officers and tax officials, police raided outlets in Shepparton, Seymour, Yarrawonga, and Ballarat, seizing more than $2 million worth of vapes, cigarettes, loose tobacco, and cash. The Taskforce Viper raids on Thursday targeted six stores in Shepparton and eight in Seymour, Yarrawonga, and Ballarat.