With more than 1.1 million Australian adults choosing to vape, the Australian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS) is calling for urgent changes to the current national policy.
The Roy Morgan data, released by AACS, shows a staggering increase of 260 per cent of people taking up vaping over the past five years, with the trend accelerating since the ban on nicotine vape sales.
Theo Foukkare, CEO of AACS, said Australia’s vaping policy has clearly failed.
“The demand for e-cigarettes from adult smokers is overwhelming, yet current policy settings are forcing vapers to purchase unregulated products with no quality controls from the black market.”
Currently those wishing to purchase vaping products must consult a GP and use that prescription to either visit a pharmacy or order products from overseas, a move which could send tens of millions of dollars offshore.
“The Albanese Government must step in, fix the former Health Minister’s regulatory failure, and bring Australia in line with other OECD nations by allowing the sale of regulated nicotine vaping products with electrical safety and ingredient standards to adults upon age identification by responsible retailers.”
Data from Convenience Measures Australia, commissioned by AACS, revealed that 88 per cent of all e-cigarettes are being purchased on the black market without the legally required medical prescription.
“Australia is now one of the only developed countries in the world that does not allow the regulated sale of e-cigarettes through responsible retailers with product standards and mandatory age verification measures.
“This isn’t an issue that will go away. It’s going to continue to grow. Australia’s parents and teachers are on the front line.
“Without an alternative, Australian adults will continue to pay the price and risk their own health by being able to buy unregulated products – as no standards exist in the manufacture or supply of vapes.”
With 5.8 per cent of the adult population now vaping, AACS has called upon the Albanese Government to convene an urgent National Policy Summit on vaping to identify and implement measures to combat the black market for vapes.
“The Australian Government must follow the lead of New Zealand, the European Union, and the United Kingdom by making e-cigarettes a regulated and controlled adult consumer product sold by responsible retailers.
“Convenience stores have been relied upon for decades to sell highly regulated tobacco and petroleum products, so give us the opportunity to help regulate this product too.”