Australia has announced plans to ban recreational vaping and tighten e-cigarette laws, in an effort to combat the increasing trend of teenage vaping. The proposed measures include a ban on all disposable vapes, the prohibition of non-prescription vape imports, and a restriction on nicotine levels.

The government hopes to confine the sale of vapes to those aimed at helping smokers quit. Health Minister Mark Butler likened the situation to the tobacco industry wrapping an addictive product in shiny packaging and fruity flavors to create a new generation of nicotine addicts. While vaping is considered a safer alternative to smoking, it still contains nicotine, which can be addictive.

Australia has implemented new rules for the sale of e-cigarettes or vapes, which will only be sold in pharmacies and require special packaging. The ban on disposable vapes that are popular with young people has also been put in place. Although a prescription is necessary to buy nicotine vapes in Australia, they are still widely available in stores due to poor border control and an active black market.

Vaping is becoming a recreational product in Australia and mostly sold to teenagers and young people, who are at a higher risk of taking up smoking. Major vape manufacturer Philip Morris has welcomed the crackdown on illegal vape sales in corner stores and hopes for strict enforcement against these illegal products.

According to Health Minister Mark Butler, vaping has become the number one behavioural issue in Australian high schools and is also spreading in primary schools. The government has implemented new rules to restrict the sale of vapes to pharmacies and ban disposable vapes that are popular with young people.

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners has backed the move but urged the government to do more to limit young people's access to nicotine vapes. About 22% of Australians aged 18-24 have tried an e-cigarette or vaping device.

The upcoming federal budget will include A$234 million ($155 million) for measures to protect against the harm caused by tobacco and vaping. Despite Australia having some of the toughest anti-smoking laws in the world, tobacco firms have switched to e-cigarettes that offer different flavors and designs, which are popular among young people.

Australian Health Minister Mark Butler has announced that the government will not follow New Zealand's example of banning cigarette sales for future generations. However, to reduce sales, the tax on tobacco will be increased by 5% annually over the next three years.
While some countries have attempted to limit vaping, others have viewed it as an effective way to help smokers quit.

In April, the UK became the first country to offer financial incentives for pregnant women to switch from cigarettes to e-cigarettes and to provide e-cigarette starter kits to support smokers in quitting. The program is expected to encourage up to one million smokers to swap cigarettes for vapes.