Australia leads world with vaping crackdown

In May 2023, federal Health Minister Mark Butler announced plans to introduce a raft of new vaping reforms. Australians had been “duped”, he said in his appearance at the National Press Club. Vapes had been sold to us as a therapeutic good to help smokers quit but had now become a recreational product. Sold in retail stores alongside lollies. Wrapped in colourful packaging. Available in thousands of flavours. The reforms were comprehensive: a ban on the importation of non-prescription vaping products and highly addictive single-use disposable vapes; the introduction of pharmaceutical-like packaging; restrictions on flavourings; and a limit on nicotine concentrations.