The Minister for Health and Aged Care, the Hon Mark Butler MP, introduced the Therapeutic Goods and Other Legislation Amendment (Vaping Reforms) Bill 2024 in Parliament today.
The Bill aims to reduce the widespread availability of vapes by controlling all levels of the supply chain. This is critical to the success of the broader vaping reforms.
Importantly, the Bill maintains legitimate patient access to vapes for smoking cessation or nicotine dependence. Patients can speak to a medical or nurse practitioner about appropriate treatments, including the use of therapeutic vapes when clinically appropriate.
By preventing the domestic manufacture, advertisement, supply and commercial possession of non-therapeutic and disposable single use vapes, the Bill seeks to protect children and young people from the harms of vaping.
Together with the regulatory changes that were introduced earlier this year, the Bill will restrict the importation, distribution and supply of all vapes to established pharmaceutical supply chains. Tobacconists, vape shops and convenience stores will no longer be able to lawfully supply any type of vape once the legislation commences.
The Bill includes a framework of offences and civil penalties for importation, manufacture, supply, advertisement and commercial possession of unlawful vapes. Increased penalties are proposed, including up to seven years imprisonment for convicted offenders.
The increase in penalties demonstrates how seriously the Government takes the deliberate promotion and supply of vapes to young people and other vulnerable groups. In combination, these changes will make the illicit supply of vapes much less attractive to commercial and criminal entities.
The reforms complement a wider set of actions being taken by the Government in line with the National Tobacco Strategy 2023-2030 to reduce rates of tobacco and vape use (see Taking action on smoking and vaping).
