Mark Butler MP stated that the Australian Border Force had seized 4,603 consignments totaling over 611,000 vape products following the enforcement of a ban. In a recent joint operation, Victorian Police and the Therapeutic Goods Administration confiscated nearly half a million vapes from a warehouse in West Melbourne. The street value of the seized vapes is estimated at more than $15 million. This operation marks the largest detection of potentially illegal vapes in a single joint effort.
Several individuals were arrested in connection with Taskforce Lunar’s investigations into organized crime within the illicit tobacco market. Vaping, the act of inhaling and exhaling vapor from an electronic cigarette, has gained popularity globally. In Australia, the sale and possession of nicotine-containing e-cigarettes and vaping liquids are regulated under the Poisons Standard, with nicotine classified as a Schedule 7 “dangerous poison.”
In New South Wales and Queensland, possessing and using nicotine e-cigarettes with a prescription is legal for smoking cessation purposes. However, in Victoria and South Australia, there are no specific laws permitting the use of nicotine e-cigarettes even with a prescription, effectively prohibiting their possession and use in these states.
The Albanese government recently implemented a ban on all imported disposable vapes, with any personally imported vapes without an import license being destroyed. Only mint, menthol, or tobacco vapes are allowed for importation to deter use by young individuals. Minister for Health Mark Butler highlighted the significant seizure of vape products by the Australian Border Force since the ban’s implementation, emphasizing the government’s commitment to controlling nicotine addiction among young people through various initiatives and enforcement measures. Additional reforms are pending before Parliament, aiming to regulate vaping products and restrict their availability to those seeking to quit smoking under medical supervision. Please provide an alternative version of the text.
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