18 March 2024: 

" On 14 January 2024, the government committed $188.5 million to Border Force over four years to harden the border against illicit tobacco and to develop a new end-to-end enforcement model to combat that illicit tobacco. The funding is for a new model that will span three key areas: enhancing preborder intervention to stem the flow of illicit tobacco to Australia; enhancing detection, disruption and destruction both at the national border and alongside our state and territory partners for enhanced domestic enforcement—and this also includes trialling new AI-enabled technology to detect the illicit tobacco threat and complex concealments at the border; and connecting all key stakeholders across the Commonwealth, states and territories, and across health and law enforcement to improve our collective effect."

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More here >>

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Gordon Reid Is Wrong, Here's Why:

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Dr. Gordon Reid MP’s speech on vaping is misleading, alarmist, and based on outdated or incorrect information. Below is a fact-based rebuttal that highlights the inaccuracies in his claims.

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1. Australia’s Vaping Black Market is a Direct Result of Government Policy

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Dr. Reid states that the government is “dismantling criminal syndicates” involved in the illicit vape trade, but it was government policies that created the black market in the first place:

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• Australia’s prescription-only model has fueled a thriving black market. By restricting legal access to vaping, the government forced consumers to seek unregulated products, creating the very illicit market they now claim to be fighting​.

• Banning legal vapes does not stop demand. In countries where vaping is regulated but accessible, such as the UK and New Zealand, black-market sales are far lower because smokers and vapers can purchase regulated products legally​.

• Law enforcement cannot stop black market sales without legal alternatives. The more aggressive the crackdown, the more criminals profit, as history has shown with alcohol and drug prohibition​.

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 Fact: The government’s own policies created the black market for illicit vapes, and banning legal alternatives will only drive more people to unsafe, unregulated products​.

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2. EVALI is Not Caused by Nicotine Vaping

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Dr. Reid wrongly claims that vaping causes EVALI (E-cigarette or Vaping Product Use-Associated Lung Injury). This is a misleading and outdated claim:

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• EVALI was caused by illicit THC vapes, not regulated nicotine vapes. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed that EVALI cases were linked to black-market THC (cannabis) vapes contaminated with Vitamin E acetate​.

• There has never been a confirmed case of EVALI from legal nicotine vaping. Countries with regulated nicotine vaping markets (UK, New Zealand, Canada) have not seen outbreaks of EVALI​.

• Australia’s ban increases the risk of EVALI by forcing people to use black-market vapes. A regulated vaping market would ensure product safety, ingredient transparency, and age restrictions​.

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Fact: EVALI is not linked to nicotine vaping—Dr. Reid’s claim is misleading and based on debunked misinformation​.

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3. The “Illicit Vapes Contain Dangerous Chemicals” Claim is a Result of Australia’s Policy Failure

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Dr. Reid claims that illicit vapes contain dangerous chemicals, but this is a direct result of the government’s failure to regulate the market:

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• Regulated vapes in the UK and New Zealand undergo strict safety testing. Australia could have implemented a similar model, but instead, it banned nicotine vapes, forcing users to buy unregulated products​.

• Black market products are a problem of prohibition, not vaping itself. When legal alternatives are restricted, criminals fill the demand with unregulated, unsafe products​.

• Banning vapes will make the issue worse. A crackdown on black-market vapes will not eliminate demand—it will only make illicit products even harder to regulate​.

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Fact: The government created the conditions for unsafe black-market vapes. The solution is legal, regulated access—not more prohibition​.

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4. Nicotine Vaping is a Proven Harm Reduction Tool

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Dr. Reid focuses on vaping’s potential risks but ignores its biggest benefit—helping millions of smokers quit:

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• Public health authorities confirm that vaping is one of the most effective quitting aids. The UK’s NHS, Public Health England (PHE), and Cancer Research UK all state that vaping is significantly safer than smoking and an effective quitting tool​.

• Vaping is at least 95% less harmful than smoking. The Royal College of Physicians states that discouraging smokers from switching to vaping harms public health​.

• Countries with pro-vaping policies have seen faster declines in smoking. The UK, New Zealand, and Canada have lower smoking rates than Australia because they support vaping as a harm reduction tool​.

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Fact: Vaping is one of the most effective tools for quitting smoking. Denying smokers access to safer alternatives will result in more smoking-related deaths​.

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5. The “Organized Crime” Argument Ignores the Real Issue

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Dr. Reid claims that criminal organizations are profiting from illicit vapes, but this is a direct result of government restrictions:

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• Organized crime thrives when legal supply is banned. Prohibition of vapes creates a lucrative black market, just as alcohol prohibition in the 1920s empowered criminal gangs​.

• Regulating vapes would eliminate the criminal market. Countries with legal but regulated vaping markets have less illicit trade and better public health outcomes​.

• Australia’s approach mirrors failed drug prohibition policies. Instead of regulating and controlling the market, the government is creating more opportunities for criminals​.

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Fact: The best way to dismantle illegal vape markets is to make regulated products legally available—not to create more bans that empower criminal syndicates​.

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6. Australia is Falling Behind Other Countries with Effective Vaping Policies

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Dr. Reid supports Australia’s extreme anti-vaping stance, but other countries have more effective, evidence-based policies:

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• The UK, New Zealand, and Canada all support vaping as a harm reduction tool. These countries allow regulated adult sales while enforcing strict age verification and product standards​.

• Public health experts criticize Australia’s extreme stance. Many leading researchers argue that Australia’s policy is driven by ideology, not science​.

• Australia is out of step with international best practices. The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes tobacco harm reduction as a legitimate strategy, yet Australia continues to push prohibition over regulation​.

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Fact: Countries with regulated vaping policies have seen greater declines in smoking rates and fewer black-market issues compared to Australia​.

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Dr. Gordon Reid MP’s speech on vaping ignores global evidence, relies on debunked myths, and supports a failed prohibitionist approach. The reality is:

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✅ Vaping is significantly less harmful than smoking and helps people quit​.
✅ EVALI was caused by illicit THC vapes, not regulated nicotine vapes​.
✅ The black market exists because Australia banned legal nicotine vapes​.
✅ Nicotine itself is not the cause of smoking-related disease—combustion is​.
✅ Countries with regulated vaping markets have fewer illicit products and lower smoking rates​.

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Policy Recommendation:

Instead of prohibition, Australia should adopt a regulated consumer model, similar to the UK and New Zealand, which includes:

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• Licensed vape retailers with strict age verification.

• Strict safety and ingredient regulations for vaping products.

• Public education campaigns on the differences between smoking and vaping.

• A separate route for medical vapes for those who prefer a prescription model.

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This balanced approach would help smokers quit, reduce smoking-related diseases, and protect public health. Prohibition has failed—Australia needs evidence-based regulation, not fear-mongering.

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