The Coalition has vowed to undo the ban on vapes if it wins the next election, revealing it would gain $3.6 billion in tax revenue by regulating the sale of vapes.
Buying vapes anywhere other than a pharmacy has been illegal since July.
The Coalition has previously flagged it wants to introduce different rules on vaping, saying the ban has led to a thriving “black market”.
Labor says its crackdown has reduced vaping rates among teenagers.
Vape ban
The Government’s ban came into effect in July, making Australia the first country in the world to ban the sale of all vapes outside of pharmacies.
It cited the explosion of popularity among under 18s as the principal reason for the phase-out.
Vapes are now only legally sold at pharmacies, where the only available flavours are tobacco, mint, and menthol.
Advertising or promoting vapes has also been banned.
Coalition
When the ban passed Parliament, the Coalition said: “Labor’s prohibition-style approach plays straight into the hands of organised crime syndicates, who are massively profiting from the sale of illegal vapes.”
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Shadow Health Minister Anne Ruston vowed to replace the ban with a “strictly-regulated retail model”.
This would allow vapes to be sold outside pharmacies, including at convenience stores.
Yesterday, the Coalition released its election costings — a document outlining how much its commitments would cost and how it would pay for them.
The party revealed it would raise $3.6 billion over the next four years through taxes on vapes.
In response to questions yesterday, Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor said the Coalition’s “regulated model” would “get the criminal gangs out of this industry.”
He called Labor’s ban “a complete and utter failure”.
Reaction
Treasurer Jim Chalmers defended Labor’s vaping ban, describing vapes as a “gateway to smoking”.
Earlier this year, research from Cancer Council NSW showed the number of teens aged 14 to 17 that say they have vaped is at an all-time low.
The Public Health Association has criticised the Coalition’s bid to reverse the current law, saying the ban “is working”.
“It means fewer young people are starting to vape, and are avoiding nicotine addiction.“
