More than 18 months after the coalition government first attempted to take nicotine vapes out of Australian hands, the Labor government has announced the most restrictive laws yet.
The sale of nicotine vapes without a prescription was outlawed in late 2021 but federal Health Minister Mark Butler says not enough has been done to curb illegal imports, creating a thriving black market.
Here's what you need to know.
Why is the government cracking down on vaping now?
Because we know vaping isn't good for you in the short-term and we don't know what kind of adverse health effects it could have in the long-term.
On Tuesday the Government said that all single-use disposable vapes would be banned.
Speaking at the National Press Club, Federal Health and Aged Care Minister Mark Butler said that not enough is being done to curb vaping and to stop vapes falling into young hands.
"Vaping was sold to governments and to communities all around the world as a therapeutic product to help long term smokers quit," Mr Butler said.
"It was not sold as a recreational product, and in particular, not one for our kids. That is what it has become."
According to Mr Butler, one in six teenagers aged 14-17 has vaped and one in four young Australians aged 18-24 has vaped.
Mr Butler also revealed that over the past 12 months, Victoria's poisons hotline took 50 calls about children under the age of four ingesting vapes.
This uptick in underage people having access to vapes and young people who don't smoke cigarettes taking up nicotine vaping is what has prompted the government's current crackdown.
Why are vapes bad for you?
Most vapes contain high amounts of nicotine which has long been associated with a number of long-term health problems.
In addition to that, more than 200 chemicals have been associated with the liquids inside vapes, including chemicals commonly found in nail-polish remover and weed killer.
According to the Australian government, the short-term effects of vaping can include increased risk of lung infections, asthma, heart disease and a weakened immune system.
But what's more worrying is the potential for long-term effects.
It's likely there is a health risk from vaping long-term, but vaping is still new, so there hasn't been time to conduct a long-term study.
It took about 40 years of people smoking cigarettes before scientists proved they were a health risk.
What does vaping do to your body?
When you breathe in vapour, some of the chemicals are absorbed through cells in your mouth into the bloodstream.
When the vapour reaches the lungs, more chemicals are absorbed there, too.
On the way back out of your mouth, more of the chemicals are absorbed, and the rest is exhaled, creating a visible mist.
Is vaping better than smoking?
Generally, vaping is thought to be less harmful that smoking tobacco cigarettes due to the high amount of added chemicals found in tailor-made cigarettes.
However, some harmful chemicals have been found in the liquids and vapour of e-cigarettes, albeit at lower levels than in tobacco smoke.
And that doesn't mean that vaping is safe.
Wait, weren't vapes already banned?
Restrictions were brought in two years ago but the laws didn't really stop vaping.
Back in 2021, the federal government made it illegal for any Australian to purchase or import nicotine vapes or e-cigarettes without a prescription from a doctor.
Now vapes can't be imported unless you're a doctor.
And there will be no more watermelon-flavoured, bright pink vapes either — they'll all be unflavoured and in plain packaging.
According to Mr Butler, the former coalition government weren't being strict enough on vape imports while also making it too hard for smokers to obtain a legal prescription.
"The former government ended up creating the perfect conditions for this unregulated, essentially illegal market to flourish right before our eyes," Mr Butler said.
"A so called prescription model with next to no prescriptions, a ban with no real enforcement and an addictive product with no support to quit."
The announcement of stricter border controls on the import on vapes also came with major government support for those looking to quit smoking including $30 million for support programs and $63 million for a 'national evidence-based information campaign'.
It will also be easier for people to get a prescription vape to quit smoking as all doctors will be able to provide nicotine vapes, rather than smokers needing approval from the Therapeutic Goods Administration.
What has been the expert reaction to the new laws?
Overwhelmingly, public health experts have welcomed the ban on imports and change to allow doctors to prescribe vapes more easy.
"A change to Australia's prescription only model of regulating vaping products is long overdue," says Professor Wayne Hall, from the University of Queensland's National Centre for Youth Substance Use Research.
"Most Australian smokers who use vaping products break the law by obtaining them without a prescription because the AMA and medical colleges discourage doctors from prescribing them."
Professor Simon Chapman of Public Health at the University of Sydney has pushed back on the laws being branded a ban.
"Vapes are not being banned but strictly regulated like they always should have been. Anyone who says they are banned probably also believes that every prescribed drug in Australia is by the same argument also banned," Professor Chapman said.
However, not all experts are convinced that the new laws will work as intended.
"I am gravely concerned that the government's new policy will do more harm than good," says Professor of Health Behaviour Ron Borland from University of Melbourne's School of Psychological Sciences.
"There is no reasonable doubt that vaping is a lot less harmful than smoking, and these changes are likely to increase smoking rates and thus increase the burden of ill health and premature mortality in Australia."
Professor Borland would like to see Australia take a page from New Zealand's vaping response. Vapes are legal for those over 18 in New Zealand but must meet a number of strict safety protocols including health warnings on packages.
Editor’s note 5 May 2023: This story has been updated to make clear that the 2021 regulations related to vapes or e-cigarettes that contain nicotine and that the new laws seek to ban all vapes.
