Australian Political Party Announces Plan to Legalise Vapes

Greens NSW, the state party for New South Wales in Australia has recently proposed a plan to regulate vaping with the aim of reducing the harm associated with combustible tobacco.

Diane Caruana

April 6, 2023

The recently elected Labor Party does not have a majority, and needs support from minor parties, which is why the Greens party certainly possesses “some bargaining power.”

As of October 2021, vapers in Australia are only able to purchase vaping products from pharmacies via prescription, making the country have some of the harshest and ineffective vape regulations worldwide. Tobacco harm reduction experts had warned that this move would be counterproductive, and sadly, this has been the case.

In response to the unavailability of the products, most vapers have been either purchasing their preferred products overseas or on the black market, hence teen vaping rates keep rising, while smoking cessation rates have stalled. Such patterns have also been observed in relation to the products in countries such as the US and Malaysia, where the products have either been banned or over regulated.

Moreover, News.co.au had recently reported that many tobacconists across Australia are still selling disposable vapes under the counter while delivery services are reportedly easy to access via social media. “I don’t want to be like a massive snitch, but it’s actually super easy,” said 17-year-old Ruby. “There’s lots of small dealers doing local areas and stuff. You go on your phone, you’re like ‘Can I pick up a vape?’ and they’re like ‘20 minutes’. And you just meet them somewhere and they just hand it to you,” she added.

Meanwhile, Australian tobacco harm reduction expert and activist Dr. Colin Mendelsohn, has recently shared on his blog that the state party of NSW, has proposed a plan to regulate vaping. The Greens has long supported harm reduction strategies, and is fully aware that Australia’s smoking rates are higher than the ones found in other parts of the world where vaping is endorsed.

Can the stance of a state party make an impact?

In a recent communication with Dr. Mendelsohn, the above piece was being discussed in order to get a better understanding of the situation, and gauge how much of an impact can the stance of the Greens party realistically have. He explained that the last election took place on the 25th of March and was won by the Labor party. However, added the expert, given that they do not have a majority, and need support from minor parties, the Greens party certainly possesses “some bargaining power.”

Mendelsohn also highlighted that “there is some momentum building.” He explained that the Greens in the state of Tasmania also recently voiced their support of vaping, while similarly the Nationals also recently announced they are in support for vaping federally. Perhaps not all hope is lost.