Australia joins an increasing number of countries are trying to crack down on disposable e-cigarettes.
ADVERTISEMENTAustralia has become the latest country to target vaping, announcing it will implement a ban on imports of disposable single-use vapes from January 1, health minister Mark Butler said.
"We’re taking the next steps to stamp out vaping. We’re committed to protecting Australians, particularly young people, from the harms of vaping and nicotine dependence," Butler wrote in a social media post on Tuesday.
He said all health ministers agreed to implement a concerted response to vaping.
Australia has low smoking rates, with just one in ten adults considered daily smokers. Yet the government said there was a "marked increase" in the prevalence of vaping.
There are more "current vapers than current smokers among those aged under 35 years", a government report said.
Around 14.5 per cent of adolescents aged 14 to 17 years old were vaping, the report added.
Highest taxes on cigarettes
Australia has one of the highest taxes on cigarettes in the world, with packs at nearly €30 each.
New Zealand has also been at the forefront of cracking down on tobacco, passing legislation last year that included a smoking ban for the next generation. The country's new government has said however that they will repeal the smoking ban.
The UK government recently announced plans to tackle vaping as well, with a consultation planned to look at restrictions on flavours, regulating sale displays and packaging as well as restricting the sale of disposable vapes.
Around 11.6 per cent of UK children aged 11 to 17 tried an e-cigarette once or twice in 2023, according to an Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) report.
French prime minister Elisabeth Borne recently announced plans to ban "puffs" or disposable e-cigarettes.
The European Union has so far banned flavoured heated tobacco products, which are not the same as e-cigarettes.
