Tighter import bans on e-cigarettes expected in bid to tackle ‘explosion in illegal vaping’

Australia’s drug regulator is expected to recommend sweeping import bans on vaping products, as new research shows young people who use e-cigarettes are much more likely to go on to smoke regular cigarettes than those who don’t.

This week the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) will deliver its recommendations to the government on how vaping laws should be changed to tackle rising vaping rates, particularly among young people.

Peak health bodies including the Australian Medical Association (AMA) and the Cancer Council have united in their call for a blanket ban on the importation of all nicotine vaping products without a prescription.

It follows a consultation process that closed in January, with the TGA receiving about 4,000 submissions in response to proposed reforms, which included a complete ban on the importation of vaping products without a prescription from a GP, whether they contain nicotine or not. Tough laws around advertising are also expected.

The submissions will be published by the end of the week as the TGA provides its report of recommendations to the health department.

The federal health minister, Mark Butler, said problems related to vaping had “exploded over the last several years” and were “completely unacceptable”.

“It’s now the job of governments to take action,” he said. “Health ministers are determined to take strong action about the explosion of illegal vaping.”

Butler said that at a meeting with his state and territory counterparts on 24 February, health ministers had agreed to establish a national “e-cigarette working group” to review and advise on any measures implemented as a result of the TGA review. The working group will focus on “addressing the increasing availability, appeal, and uptake of vaping products,” Butler said.