Australia’s nicotine ban set to kick in from July this year, has been labelled as nothing short of a ‘death sentence‘ for both vapers and smokers by furious vape advocates.
The ban will include all nicotine based e-liquids and vape products such as pre-filled pods, and will last for a year and could lead to an explosion in smokers as vapers return to the deadly habit.
In a perverse twist, nicotine replacement therapies such as sprays, gums and patches, will remain on the shelves.
As we now know, those products do not work – that’s not me saying it, Big Tobacco and Big Pharma has admitted it for years – read my article for more info on that bombshell: Do Nicotine Patches and Gums Work For Quitting Smoking? Not According to Scientists
A case of Big Pharma nicotine good – so called Big Vape nicotine bad…
And of course, doctors will still be prescribing ‘stop smoking‘ drugs such as Varenicline – which has suicide among its very many dark side-effects.
Australia’s nicotine ban will be actively ‘policed‘ by the Department of Health and the Australian Border Force and anyone ‘caught‘ importing nicotine, or vape products containing nicotine, and without a license, could face fines of up to $220,000 AUD – around £122,000!
Shocking doesn’t cover this one…
Technically, vaping on nicotine products is still possible, but vapers will need a prescription from their doctor – none nicotine e-liquids will still be available.
Yeah that’ll work in getting Australia’s 2.6 million smokers off the cancer sticks…and of course, lit tobacco with all the death and illness that brings will remain on the shelves…
Australia’s Nicotine Ban – To Protect the Children
The Aussie government has given two specific reasons for the nicotine ban, and yeah top of the list is to protect the children from becoming nicotine addicts.
It points to what it sees as a ‘teen vape epidemic‘ in America as a reason to protect the youth of Australia.
This so called epidemic has proven to be a fallacy so many times now it’s getting ridiculous rebuffing it – read my article: Teen Vaping and Smoking – The Cold Hard Facts Revealed to see the real truth behind the numbers.
Curiously smaller children are also held up as a reason why nic based vape products should be banned.
The government states:
The Victorian Poisons Information Centre reported 41 cases of liquid nicotine poisonings in 2019, up from 21 in 2018.
In July 2018, a Victorian toddler died from e-cigarette liquid nicotine consumption.
The death of a toddler is of course tragic, however, a quick look at data from the Victorian Poisons Information Centre on child poisonings shows around 3000 children are poisoned each year in Australia – by household products.
Back in 2018 it was reported that 180,000 calls are made each year to the VPIC about kids – especially toddlers – getting poisoned and the top causes are: household cleaners, bleach, hand sanitizers and glow sticks…
No word on if the Australian Government plans to ban those.
However it is VERY clear on banning nicotine based vape products saying:
You will need a prescription from your doctor for an e-cigarette containing vaporiser nicotine, and it will need to be obtained on your behalf by a medical supplier or from a pharmacist who dispenses it for your use as the named patient.
The company or the pharmacist will need to be given a copy of your prescription.
You are no longer permitted to import nicotine for use in e-cigarettes directly from an overseas supplier without a valid import permit.
If it looks like Big Brother, sounds like Big Brother…
Australia Nicotine Ban – Automatic Seizures
If the ban is bad enough, any vape product containing nicotine ordered even BEFORE the announcement on the ban was made, let alone the July 1st deadline, will be seized and the Aussie Government makes that VERY clear:
The Australian Border Force (ABF) is obliged by law to seize e-cigarettes containing vaporiser nicotine which arrive in Australia on or after 1 July 2020.
The ABF is also obliged to send you a seizure letter giving you an opportunity to object to the seizure of the e-cigarettes.
For example, a valid objection may be because they do not contain vaporiser nicotine.
The government, through the TGA laboratories, may also test products that are suspected of containing nicotine.
So I guess even any imported none nicotine based vape products, maybe including empty devices and zero mg e-liquids, MAY be held until lab tests are carried out.
And you can kiss goodbye to the chance of getting your money back too, the government makes that very clear.
On the question of refunds for seized products it says:
If your product is prohibited under the new regulations, then you will not be entitled to a refund if it’s seized by the ABF from 1 July onwards.
Smells like government theft to me…
Australia’s Nicotine Ban Welcomed By Doctors
Unbelievably, many of Australia’s doctors and health practitioners have welcomed the ban.
I say ‘unbelievably‘ – given most are under the thumb and in the pocket of Big Pharma, it’s hardly surprising.
Dr Chris Zappala, the vice president of the Australian Medical Association [AMA] just happens to be respiratory specialist and said:
Big Tobacco has sought to promote e-cigarettes and vaping as healthy alternatives to normalise smoking among younger people.
They are not healthy.
The AMA welcomes the move to strengthen the response to the importation of nicotine liquids for use in e-cigarettes.
Stronger enforcement should see a reduction in the amount of illegally imported nicotine solution coming to Australia.
The AMA is concerned about the quality of imported nicotine solutions. Some have been found to contain higher levels of nicotine than advertised, as well as other adulterants that may pose a risk to users’ health.
The continued ban will also prevent non-smokers from unintentionally developing nicotine addiction, which can lead to traditional tobacco use.
Given the experience in the US, this is a particular concern for young people in Australia.
It’s all emotional rhetoric and not fact based at all, but that doesn’t seem to bother anti-vaping zealots, no matter how qualified they are.
Dr Harry Nespolon is the president of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners [RACGP] said e-cigarettes should NOT be used by smokers looking to quit:
The long-term health effects of using e-cigarettes or ‘vaping’ are unknown and public health experts have different views on whether they are effective as a smoking cessation tool.
This is not a smoking cessation aid that should be embraced by all smokers in the community, it is a last resort prescription for people who have already tried evidence-based smoking cessation options and not succeeded.
GPs will be able to prescribe e-cigarettes for patients who have tried to quit smoking but failed again and again.
Tell that to the millions of us former smokers here in the UK that didn’t need a doctor or prescription to successfully quit smoking by using an e-cigarette…
Vapers Could Return To Smoking
Despite lit tobacco being the most expensive to buy pretty much anywhere in the world, pro vaping advocates fear there will be a huge return to smoking.
I say ‘despite‘, given the Aussie Government taxes the shit out of cigarettes, they’ll be happy to see its tax coffers filled while ignoring the coffins filled by dead smokers who were once vapers.
Me a cynic? Probably…as I always say it’s down to the money every single time.
In this case the loss of tax revenue by smokers in their droves moving to vaping and despite the barriers put in their way, means a huge shortfall in cash.
As to the health effects of Australia’s nicotine ban, the experts are rightfully worried.
Writing for the Australia Tobacco Harm Reduction Association [ATHRA] tireless Australian vape advocate, Dr Colin Mendelsohn was scathing at the decision:
The plan announced today by the Health Department to block the importation of nicotine for vaping is effectively a death sentence for hundreds of thousands of Australian vapers and smokers.
Many vapers will go back to smoking and smokers will be denied access to a legitimate quitting aid.
Vapers who try to import nicotine from 1 July will be fined $220,000!
This is a cruel blow for Australia’s marginalized and disadvantaged communities which have far higher smoking rates and lower quit success than the rest of the community.
Australia’s high cigarette prices cause serious financial stress in the population.
Vaping is 90% cheaper than smoking and can reduce health and financial inequalities.
As for vapers still being able to access nicotine products from their doctors, Dr Mendelsohn says that’s nigh on impossible:
Only a handful of Australian doctors are willing to write nicotine prescriptions under current laws.
Even fewer will be willing to comply with the complex and time-consuming requirements of the new plan.
The proposal suggests that pharmacists could make up nicotine solutions for vapers who have a prescription.
However, pharmacists need permission to possess and import nicotine from the state health departments.
All have so far refused to give permission for this purpose.
He says that of even greater concern is vapers returning to smoking, or as worrying, vapers buying nicotine based products off the black market – and we know how that ends.
Final Thoughts
I interviewed the Australian vape advocacy group Legalize Vaping back in 2018 and even back then the writing was on the wall for a total vape ban in the country.
Greg Hunt MP was the health minister at the time and still is.
He’s the idiotic bumbling fool that after being asked if vaping would ever be made legal in Australia said:
It’s not going to be happening on my watch as far as I’m concerned.
BTW the surname Hunt is NOT a spelling mistake…but could be rhyming slang…you never know….
It seems Hunt has his gotten his wish and in doing so, and as Dr Colin Mendelsohn so rightly put it – handed a death sentence to the countrys vapers and smokers.
Shame on him and shame on all of them.
Last word to hugely popular Australia based YouTube reviewer Sam aka the Vaping Bogan – a multiple EcigClick Awards Winner:
…this is really bad, really really bad.
Australia Is Banning Nicotine! Time to Panic Buy!
Watch his video on Australia’s nicotine ban for his colourful take on the dire straits Aussie vapers are finding themselves in.
As to if this nic ban can be reversed?
Sadly it doesn’t look likely and is definitely not fair dinkum OR a G’day for Australia’s vapers and smokers…
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A usual round-up of the Vape News on Wednesday…
Until then – Happy Father’s Day!
