The Australian government has now passed a new law that cracks down on all forms of vejp in the country. In just one week, e-cigarettes can only be sold in pharmacies - and distributors, shopkeepers and other sellers have just days to empty their stocks - or face heavy fines and possible imprisonment.
"It's as fucked up as it could ever be," says Vaping Bogan profiler Samuel Parsons in a chilling YouTube clip.
Few thought that the bill proposed by Australia's conservative government, led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, could have any other result than to be passed. Youtuber, vejp celebrity and vejpkollenbekanta Samuel "Vaping Bogan" Parsons left the country at the beginning of the year because of the government's witch hunt against vejpare. Now he's dropping more swear words than you can count in a furious video about the defeated law.
- It's more fucked up than it could possibly be. It's the end of the road for vejpning in Australia," he says, loosely translated.
Mitigated slightly by agreement
The original bill, believe it or not, was from the beginning even harder. In addition, a doctor's prescription would be required to buy e-cigarettes even in pharmacies. That part was mitigated at the last minute when the country's health minister Mark Butler reached an agreement with the Greens in the country's parliament. However, you will still need to show proof of identity that you are over 18 years old and pharmacists will have to give advice to those who want to buy them. Under the new law, this cannot be delegated to a pharmacy assistant, but it is unclear exactly what this counselling will entail or include.
As the change came late and suddenly, pharmacies are not prepared to provide e-cigarettes outside the planned prescription model. So for three months, that model will apply anyway. Only on 1 October will it be possible to buy even in pharmacies without a prescription.
Stiff penalties await
From 1 July, it will be illegal for retailers such as vejpshops, kiosks or petrol stations to sell any e-cigarettes or related products - regardless of nicotine content or not. And the penalties for offenders are not lenient. Retailers and those who illegally import vejp products for sale risk fines of up to $2.2 million and up to seven years in prison under the legislation. However, personal possession has been set at the elusive "nine e-cigarettes" and there will be an eight-month amnesty period for personal possession.
The e-cigarettes to be sold in pharmacies must not be visibly displayed. They will be sold in plain, medical packaging and will be regulated to ensure compliance with maximum nicotine concentration levels. The law will also ban flavours and only mint, menthol and so-called tobacco flavours will be allowed.
Contrary to research worldwide
The law has the support of more than 50 public health organisations, leading medical groups, and social and educational groups, according to the Australian government. But critics like Vaping Bogan don't give those organisations much credit. He says there is lobbying money involved and it is also deeply ironic that e-cigarettes should be sold in pharmacies when the Pharmacy Guild of Australia has been a leading critic of vejpning as a smoking cessation aid since day one.
- And they advocate something that contradicts more or less ALL other research, in the world, says Samuel Parsons
He also points out that the law or the government does not even mention cigarettes or the skyrocketing harm tobacco smoking causes. Cigarette sales will continue as usual in the country.
Favours black market and crime
A slightly less sweary, but equally harsh criticism of the new law is levelled by Colin Mendelsohn. He is a doctor and author, but also an activist and debater on the issue of harm reduction, and a vejpkollenbekant He too.
- While this is seen as a victory for Health Minister Mark Butler, this legislation will face significant challenges within a year. This approach benefits organised crime and the black market while undermining public health, adult smokers and e-cigarette users, young people and the vape industry, he writes on his blog.
Better laws in New Zealand
He also makes a comparison with neighbouring New Zealand, a few nautical miles to the south-east.
- New Zealand, where e-cigarettes are sold as regulated adult consumer products in licensed shops, demonstrates a much more effective approach. Since the regulation of vejpning in 2020, New Zealand has seen a reduction in smokers at more than double the rate compared to Australia, without a black market or significant criminal activity. Youth use of e-cigarettes, which initially increased, has started to stabilise, writes Colin Mendelsohn.
When you read this, you get a feeling several times actually. Is this about drugs, have they classed it as narcotics? What are the Australian government's really heavy decision-making arguments to justify such a heavy law.
"Couldn't you wait until we old people have died before they come out with this kind of stupidity" said the old lady when the right-hand traffic was introduced🥴