Does Butler Really Understand What A White Flag Is?

By Pippa Starr

Mark Butler likes to say he "won’t raise the white flag" in his war on vaping, but let’s be honest: this war is already lost. And while Butler digs in his heels, it’s Australians, ordinary citizens, businesses, and families, who are paying the price for his stubborn refusal to face the facts.

The metaphor of a "white flag" has long symbolised surrender, a willingness to admit defeat and seek peace. But in Butler’s case, it has become a symbol of his unyielding commitment to a failed policy that is fuelling a dangerous black market, putting public health at risk, and undermining the very goals he claims to uphold.

The evidence is damning:

• Legal vape shops have been shut down, only to be replaced by a thriving illicit trade run by organised crime.

• Firebombings , Murders and Violence have become the new reality for small businesses simply trying to operate in a sector Butler’s own policies have handed over to criminals.

• Real Smoking Rates Remain High, as Australians who want to quit smoking are forced back onto deadly cigarettes, the only product readily and legally available.

• And let’s not forget the tragedy of preventable deaths, like that of Katie Tangey, whose lives were lost due to these reckless policies.

Butler’s refusal to "raise the white flag" is not a sign of strength; it’s a sign of dangerous denialism. It’s the political equivalent of a general standing on a battlefield engulfed in flames, declaring victory while the ground collapses beneath his feet.

This isn’t a war that can be won through stubbornness and ideology. Harm reduction isn’t about surrendering to big tobacco or "giving in" to vaping, it’s about saving lives, reducing harm, and giving people safer choices.

Other countries have recognised this. New Zealand have embraced regulated vaping as a tool to drive down smoking rates and have smashed passed Australia.

Meanwhile, Australia clings to prohibitionist policies that have backfired spectacularly.

It’s time for Butler to face reality. The war on vaping has not only failed, it has made things worse.

It’s time to raise the white flag, end this futile battle, and embrace a public health strategy based on science, compassion, and harm reduction.

Australia deserves better.