2024-07-03 01:00:10
Letter from Sydney
Australian Health Minister Mark Butler speaks on the use of e-cigarettes at a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia on February 28, 2024.
Stop offering e-cigarettes, something Sydney tobacconist John (pseudonym) says he has no intention of doing. The product accounted for almost half of his sales and he didn’t want it “Put the key under the door”. But his confidence began to falter when he found out he now faced the risk of up to seven years in prison and a fine of A$2.2 million (€1.3 million). Australia is a pioneer in the fight once morest smoking, passing on June 26 new legislation that is unique in the world and particularly tough to eliminate recreational e-cigarettes.
The text, which came into force on July 1, retains the sale of e-cigarettes to pharmacies only, implements gender-neutral packaging, limits the availability of menthol or tobacco flavors, and requires consumers to present a prescription for the first three periods. time so that therapeutic “vapes” can be offered to them.
For public health experts, the measure is necessary in a country where only 7.1% of 18-24-year-olds smoke, but 49% have already tried it, according to data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics in 2022. e-cigarette.
See also 2016: Australia’s shock measures once morest cigarettes
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“Australia has one of the lowest daily smoking rates among OECD countries [Organisation de coopération et de développement économiques], but there are many new generation e-cigarettes. It has become a trend, driven by colorful packaging and exotic flavors such as bubble gum or pink unicorn.Simon Chapman, a professor at the University of Sydney, expressed regret.
“No one wants a puff without nicotine”
To limit the risk of addiction, authorities have banned the sale of nicotine-containing puffs outside pharmacies and without a prescription. They then tightened the system further, halting imports of disposable e-cigarettes in January as part of an anti-smoking plan aimed at reducing the number of smokers to less than 5% of the population by 2030. types of imports, especially rechargeable products.
But disposable e-cigarettes continue to circulate clandestinely, including among established businesses whose owners obtain the goods on the black market and then discreetly resell them to regular customers in packaging that does not indicate they contain nicotine. “I tried to offer locally produced nicotine-free puffs but no one wanted them”said a person who asked not to be named.
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