Australia waters down planned world first vape ban after opposition from
Greens
Send a link to a friend
[June 24, 2024]
By Lewis Jackson
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia will water down a planned world first ban
on vaping after opposition from the Greens party led the government on
Monday to agree to amend a bill that would have restricted vapes to
those with a doctor's prescription.
The agreement between the ruling centre-left Labor party and the Greens
will see legislation pass later this week that restricts the sale of
vapes to pharmacies and removes them from retail shelves, where they
have fuelled a boom in youth vaping.
However the bill stops short of the government's initial ambition to
limit sales only to those with a doctor's prescription, which would have
been a world-first. The amended bill will come into effect on 1 July.
Under the compromise deal, first reported by the Sydney Morning Herald,
vapes will move "behind the counter" in October and customers will need
to have a conversation with the pharmacist before making a purchase.
Under-18s will need a prescription.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2024/Jun/24/images/ads/current/ldn_booksda_CHASSKAREN_010924.png)
Health Minister Mark Butler said in a statement that the government
"welcomed constructive engagement with the crossbench and secured the
support of The Greens for our world leading vaping laws".
[to top of second column]
|
![](../images/062424PIX/health80.jpg)
Flavored vape juices stand on a counter at a vape store, in
Melbourne, Australia, May 2, 2023. REUTERS/Sandra Sanders/File Photo
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2024/Jun/24/images/ads/current/graue_lda_ENVISION3257_061024.jpg)
The Labor party does not have a
majority in the upper house and must negotiate with other parties
and independent senators to pass legislation.
In a statement, the Greens said they opposed blanket prohibitions
and also wanted to remove financial barriers to those seeking to
quit smoking, a reference to the cost of visiting a doctor for a
prescription.
Already home to some of the strongest anti-smoking
laws in the world, Australia banned the import of most vapes earlier
this year and limited the number of flavors that can be sold.
About 22% of Australians aged 18-24 have used an e-cigarette or
vaping device at least once, data last year showed.
(Reporting by Lewis Jackson; Editing by Michael Perry)
[© 2024 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content. |