The Australian government announced on May 1st that it will ban the import of all over-the-counter e-cigarette products, including those that do not contain nicotine. The new legislation is being promoted to include the country's most important tobacco and e-cigarette control measures in the past decade.

Today's announcement clarifies last week's announcement on cracking down on illegal e-cigarettes. This time, the government has stated that it will now completely ban over-the-counter e-cigarette products.


To address the issue of teenagers using e-cigarettes, minimum quality standards for e-cigarettes will be introduced, including restrictions on taste, color, and other ingredients. Vape products will require packaging similar to drugs, and the allowable nicotine concentration and volume will be reduced.


According to the Guardian, all disposable e-cigarettes will be banned.

Australian Health Minister Mark Butler said on Monday evening on ABC's Q&A program that the tobacco industry is attempting to create a "new generation of nicotine addicts" through e-cigarettes, and he is "determined to eliminate this public health threat".


This move follows an investigation led by drug regulatory agencies and the Therapeutic Products Administration (TGA) into the reform of e-cigarettes. The majority of opinions submitted by health professionals, public health associations, personal health professionals, and university researchers support strengthening border controls.


Many public health experts and institutions have proposed to the investigation that border controls should also be placed on non nicotine e-cigarette products to prevent mislabeling and exploitation of import loopholes. Previously, manufacturers mistakenly labeled products containing nicotine as "nicotine free" to avoid import restrictions, making it easy for children to buy e-cigarettes and often unconsciously inhale nicotine and become addicted.


The government will also cooperate with states and territories to terminate the sales of e-cigarettes in convenience stores and other retailers. For smokers attempting to quit smoking, the prescription for nicotine e-cigarette products will become easier to obtain, and stricter standards will be established around e-cigarette products that can be purchased at pharmacies, so that people can rest assured of the product's content.


Butler stated that he will further elaborate on the reform in his speech to the National News Club on Tuesday, and is expected to say that e-cigarettes have become the "biggest loophole in Australian history". He also announced that the federal budget for next Tuesday will include A $234 million in funding for tobacco and e-cigarette reform, the largest since the introduction of non decorative packaging for tobacco products.