AFP- Daniel Niel Leal Pool
Australia will ban imports of disposable vapes from 1 January 2024 and will soon introduce legislation to outlaw the manufacture, advertising or its supply in the country.
Health Minister Mark Butler said vaping had been sold to governments as a way to help long-term smokers quit, but now children are becoming addicted.
He said about one in seven children aged 14-17 uses vapes and there is "consistent evidence" that young Australians who vape are about three times more likely to take up tobacco smoking.
The import ban was hailed by the Australian Medical Association.
"Australia has been a world leader in reducing smoking rates and the subsequent health harms, so the government's decisive action to stop vaping in its tracks and prevent further harm is very welcome," said the association's president, Steve Robson.
