Timeline:
26 June 2024:
"We all know that the Albanese Labor government is taking strong action to reduce smoking and stamp out vaping, particularly among young Australians, because we know that young people are being targeted by the corporations to get them hooked on vaping, just as the previous generations were hooked on tobacco. We are making the tough calls to ensure that, through strong legislation, enforcement, education and support, vaping will be eradicated in this country.
This bill builds on Australia's pioneering tobacco control reforms, including our world-first tobacco plain packaging reforms and the Public Health (Tobacco and Other Products) Act 2023, which was passed in parliament in December. Aligned with these previous reforms, the Albanese government is now introducing world-leading vape reforms to prevent serious, current and future public health problems. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in Australia, and First Nations communities carry a much higher burden of both smoking and cancer, such that cancer is now the leading cause of disease related death for First Nations people"
Helen Polley Is Wrong, Here's Why:
Senator Helen Polley’s speech in support of the vaping reforms is riddled with misinformation, flawed logic, and a misunderstanding of tobacco harm reduction. Below is a fact-based rebuttal, explaining why her arguments are incorrect.
1. “We are taking strong action to stamp out vaping, just as previous generations were hooked on tobacco.”
The Facts: Vaping and Smoking Are Not the Same
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Vaping is not the same as smoking. Unlike cigarettes, vapes do not burn tobacco, which is the primary cause of smoking-related diseases.
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Public Health England, the NHS, and the Royal College of Physicians confirm that vaping is at least 95% less harmful than smoking.
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The UK and New Zealand have successfully reduced smoking rates by allowing regulated access to vapes, rather than banning them.
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By treating vaping like smoking, the government is discouraging smokers from switching to a safer alternative and increasing cigarette sales.
2. “Young people who vape are three times more likely to take up smoking.”
The Facts: The “Gateway Theory” Is Misleading and Unproven
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Studies do not prove that vaping causes young people to start smoking. Instead, research shows that youth who try vaping are already at higher risk of smoking.
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In countries where vaping is legally available, youth smoking rates have continued to decline.
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The vast majority of young people who try vaping do so experimentally and do not become regular users.
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Banning vapes will not stop youth from experimenting—it will only push them toward unregulated, illegal products.
3. “Vaping is creating a whole new generation of nicotine addiction.”
The Facts: Vaping Is Helping People Quit Smoking, Not Creating a Crisis
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The increase in youth vaping has coincided with record-low smoking rates among young people, suggesting that vaping is replacing smoking rather than fueling it.
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Vaping is primarily used by smokers looking to quit, with studies showing it is one of the most effective smoking cessation tools.
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In contrast, Australia’s restrictive policies have pushed vapers toward the black market, where youth can access unregulated products with high nicotine levels.
4. “Vaping poses a major threat to Australia’s success in tobacco control.”
The Facts: Vaping Has Helped Reduce Smoking Rates in Other Countries
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Countries that regulate vapes properly (UK, New Zealand, Canada) have seen continued declines in smoking rates.
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The UK’s Royal College of Physicians has stated that discouraging vaping will cost lives by preventing smokers from switching to a safer alternative.
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By restricting vapes while leaving cigarettes widely available, Australia is actively harming tobacco control efforts, not protecting them.
5. “Vaping is a public health scourge.”
The Facts: The Real Public Health Crisis Is Smoking, Not Vaping
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Cigarette smoking is responsible for 20,000 deaths per year in Australia. There is no evidence that vaping has caused any comparable harm.
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Cancer Research UK has stated that there is no good evidence that vaping causes cancer.
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Vaping eliminates the combustion process, making it significantly safer than smoking.
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By calling vaping a "scourge," the senator is misleading the public and ignoring harm reduction science.
6. “The bill bans the importation, manufacture, and supply of disposable vapes while preserving safe access through pharmacies.”
The Facts: The Pharmacy-Only Model Creates Barriers, Not Solutions
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Australia’s prescription-only model has already failed, creating a thriving black market for vapes.
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Restricting vapes to pharmacies makes it harder for adult smokers to access a proven harm reduction tool, increasing the likelihood that they will continue smoking.
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Countries that regulate vape sales through licensed retailers (UK, New Zealand, Canada) have seen lower youth vaping rates and better adult smoking cessation success.
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If the goal is harm reduction, vapes should be available in general retail stores with strict age verification, just like cigarettes.
7. “The bill strengthens regulations to prevent illegal sales and advertising.”
The Facts: Banning Legal Sales Increases Black Market Activity
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Australia’s restrictive policies have already led to one of the world’s largest black markets for vaping, where unregulated products are sold with no age restrictions.
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Enforcing bans on legal vape sales will not prevent youth access—it will only push young people toward illicit, dangerous products.
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Rather than criminalizing vapes, Australia should introduce regulated retail sales with strict penalties for selling to minors.
8. “Vapes are a killer and set people up for a lifetime of poor health.”
The Facts: There Is No Evidence That Vaping Is “Killing” Anyone
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Vaping does not cause the same diseases as smoking because it does not contain tar, carbon monoxide, or the thousands of chemicals found in cigarette smoke.
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The NHS, Public Health England, and the Royal College of Physicians all confirm that vaping is significantly safer than smoking.
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Calling vapes a "killer" is misleading and fearmongering—it ignores the fact that vaping is helping people quit deadly cigarettes.
9. “The bill ensures legitimate access for adults while protecting children.”
The Facts: The Bill Will Do the Opposite—It Will Drive Smokers Back to Cigarettes
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By limiting vapes to pharmacies, adult smokers will find it harder to switch, leading many to continue smoking.
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Youth vaping is best controlled through strict retail regulations, not outright bans.
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Countries with regulated retail sales have more effective youth prevention programs than countries like Australia, which rely on prohibition.
10. “We must stop these illegal vapes from coming across our borders.”
The Facts: Prohibition Does Not Work—Regulation Does
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If legal, regulated vape sales were allowed, illegal imports would drastically decline.
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Countries that have embraced harm reduction have reduced smoking rates without the black market issues seen in Australia.
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The best way to eliminate illegal sales is to introduce a well-regulated, taxed retail market with strong age verification.
A More Effective Approach
Senator Polley’s speech is based on fear-mongering, misinformation, and flawed reasoning. Instead of doubling down on prohibitionist policies that have already failed, Australia should adopt a regulated, evidence-based vaping policy, similar to the UK and New Zealand where:
✅ Smoking rates continue to fall.
✅ Youth vaping is controlled through proper retail regulation.
✅ Black markets are minimized.
✅ Adult smokers have legal access to a harm reduction tool.
By banning legal vapes, the Australian government is driving people back to smoking, strengthening criminal networks, and failing to protect youth. A legal, regulated market is the real solution.
25 March 2024:
"I rise to speak this afternoon on the new scourge on our community—that is, vaping. I have mentioned many times in this place how disappointed we are in the Liberals, Nationals and Greens for not supporting legislation to change the vaping laws here in Australia."
Helen Polley Is Wrong Again, Here's Why:
Senator Helen Polley’s remarks on vaping are misleading, unsupported by evidence, and ignore the substantial benefits of vaping as a smoking cessation tool. Below is a fact-based rebuttal addressing her claims.
1. Vaping is Not a "Scourge"—It’s a Proven Harm Reduction Tool
Senator Polley describes vaping as a "scourge" on society, failing to acknowledge its role in reducing smoking rates:
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Public health authorities support vaping as a smoking cessation tool. The UK National Health Service (NHS) and Public Health England (PHE) confirm that vaping is one of the most effective ways to quit smoking.
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The Royal College of Physicians states that vaping should be widely promoted for smokers. Their research finds that vaping is at least 95% less harmful than smoking and that discouraging smokers from switching could harm public health.
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Countries with pro-vaping policies have seen faster declines in smoking. The UK, New Zealand, and Canada all support vaping for harm reduction, and they have seen greater declines in smoking rates than Australia, where vaping is restricted.
Fact: Vaping is a key part of tobacco harm reduction, and banning it will lead to more smoking-related deaths.
2. The “Vaping Industry Targets Youth” Claim is Overblown
Polley claims that vape shops deliberately target young people, but this misrepresents the reality:
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Regulated vape products are designed for adults. In countries with strong vaping regulations, vape shops operate under strict laws prohibiting sales to minors. This was also the case here in Australia prior till July 2024, when legal vape shops were forced to close without compensation, often only to be replaced with black market tobacco & vapes shops!
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Most youth experimentation does not lead to regular use. The UK’s Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) found that regular vaping among non-smoking youth is rare. In Australia, youth vaping is below 4% daily rate and is often short term experimental use.
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Youth smoking rates have reached historic lows. If vaping were truly a gateway to smoking, youth smoking rates would be rising—but they are falling in countries with vaping access.
Fact: The real concern should be preventing cigarette use, not demonizing a harm reduction tool that helps adult smokers quit.
3. The “Two-Thirds of Young Vapers Will Become Smokers” Claim is False
Polley claims that "two-thirds of young people who vape will go on to smoke cigarettes."
This is not supported by credible evidence:
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The "gateway theory" is a myth. Multiple studies, including from the Royal College of Physicians and Public Health England, confirm that vaping does not lead non-smokers to start smoking.
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Most youth who vape are already smokers. The majority of young vapers had already experimented with smoking before trying vaping, suggesting shared risk factors rather than a causal relationship.
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Youth smoking rates are declining where vaping is available. Countries like the UK, New Zealand, and Canada, which have regulated vaping markets, have seen record-low youth smoking rates.
Fact: There is no credible evidence that vaping causes young people to take up smoking—if anything, it diverts them away from cigarettes.
4. Banning Legal Vapes Will Create a Larger Black Market
Polley supports banning non-therapeutic vapes, but this policy has already failed in Australia:
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Australia’s prescription-only model has fueled a thriving black market. Instead of reducing vaping, the ban has led to a surge in illegal sales where unregulated products are widely available.
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Black market vapes are more dangerous. Illicit vapes often contain unknown chemicals and unregulated nicotine levels, making them more harmful than legal, regulated products.
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Countries with regulated vaping markets have better public health outcomes. The UK, New Zealand, and Canada have lower smoking rates and safer vaping products due to their evidence-based regulatory models.
Fact: Banning legal vapes will only push people toward illicit, unregulated products, increasing public health risks rather than reducing them.
5. The UK and New Zealand Have More Effective Vaping Policies
Polley presents Australia’s prohibitionist approach as a global model, but other countries have far more successful vaping 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.
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Public health experts criticize Australia’s extreme stance. Many leading researchers argue that Australia’s policy is driven by ideology, not science.
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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.
Fact: Countries with regulated vaping policies have seen greater declines in smoking rates and fewer black market issues compared to Australia.
6. The Claim That Opponents "Don't Care About Young People" is False
Polley accuses opposition parties of prioritizing votes over young people’s health. However, those who support a regulated vaping model are following scientific evidence, not political convenience:
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Opposition parties are supporting evidence-based policies. Many public health experts, including those in the UK, New Zealand, and Canada, support tightly regulated legal vaping markets over outright bans.
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Protecting youth means eliminating cigarette access, not banning safer alternatives. If the government truly cared about youth health, they would focus on banning cigarettes, which kill 20,500 Australians every year.
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Regulation, not prohibition, is the best way to protect young people. Countries with strong but legal vaping regulations have fewer youth accessing black-market products.
Fact: Opponents of a vaping ban are advocating for a safer, regulated market—an approach supported by leading international health organizations.
Senator Helen Polley’s statement on vaping is misleading, fear-based, and contradicts the best available evidence.
The reality is:
✅ Vaping is significantly less harmful than smoking and helps people quit.
✅ The "youth vaping epidemic" is exaggerated—most youth vapers were already smokers.
✅ There is no strong evidence that vaping causes young people to take up smoking.
✅ Banning legal vapes fuels the black market, making youth access worse.
✅ Nicotine itself is not the cause of smoking-related disease—combustion is.
✅ Australia’s prohibitionist approach has failed—countries with regulated models are more successful.
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.
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Strict safety and ingredient regulations for vaping products.
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Public education campaigns on the differences between smoking and vaping.
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A separate route for medical vapes for those who prefer a prescription model.
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.