Michelle Ananda-Rajah MP - ALP
- Pippa Starr
- May 15, 2024
- 5 min read
15 May 2024
"Vaping is a pox upon our house—this House and our entire nation. Currently in Australia there are 1.7 million people who regularly vape, and amongst high school students that number is one in six.
Why is vaping so problematic? It's problematic for many reasons. One is that vaping is a gateway drug to nicotine addiction. We know that people who vape on a regular basis are three times as likely to go on to become smokers, and that's a huge problem, because smoking and tobacco use are the No. 1 risk factor for death in Australia"
-We are committing close to $30 million towards smoking cessation services. That includes bolstering the Quitline.
-The Commonwealth has also committed an additional $25 million to the Australian Border Force and $56 million to the Therapeutic Goods Administration over the next two years to enforce this work.
Michelle Ananda-Rajah Is Wrong, Here's Why:
Dr. Michelle Ananda-Rajah’s speech contains several misleading claims, a misunderstanding of harm reduction principles, and a failure to recognize global evidence on vaping and smoking cessation. Below is a fact-based rebuttal, explaining why her arguments are incorrect.
1. “Vaping is a pox upon our house and a gateway to nicotine addiction.”
The Facts: Vaping Is Not a Gateway to Smoking but a Safer Alternative
The claim that vaping leads to smoking has been debunked by numerous studies.
Most young people who try vaping are already at risk of smoking, meaning vaping is more likely replacing smoking rather than causing it.
In countries where vaping is regulated (UK, New Zealand, Canada), youth smoking rates continue to decline, showing that vaping is not creating new smokers.
Studies that suggest a “gateway effect” fail to prove causation—correlation does not equal causation.
2. “People who vape are three times more likely to go on to smoke.”
The Facts: This Statistic Is Misleading
This claim is based on studies that fail to distinguish between correlation and causation.
Young people who experiment with vapes are often the same group that would have experimented with smoking in the past.
Real-world data from countries with legal vaping regulations show that vaping is displacing smoking, not promoting it.
The UK has seen smoking rates continue to drop among both adults and youth since allowing widespread vaping access.
3. “Vapes were originally sold as a therapeutic device, but the reverse has occurred.”
The Facts: Vaping Has Helped Millions Quit Smoking
Vaping is the most effective smoking cessation tool available today.
Studies show that vapes are at least twice as effective as nicotine patches or gum in helping smokers quit.
Countries that have embraced vaping as a harm reduction tool have seen smoking rates drop dramatically.
By restricting vape access, Australia is making it harder for smokers to quit, leading to worse public health outcomes.
4. “Vapes are a chemical cocktail, and we don’t know what’s in them.”
The Facts: Regulated Vapes Contain Far Fewer Harmful Chemicals Than Cigarettes
Cigarettes contain over 7,000 toxic chemicals, including tar, carbon monoxide, and dozens of known carcinogens.
In contrast, regulated vapes contain nicotine, propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, and food-grade flavorings—none of which are known to cause serious harm in long-term use.
Concerns about chemicals in vapes come from studies of illegal, black-market products—products that exist precisely because of Australia’s failure to regulate the market properly.
If vapes were properly regulated, quality control measures could ensure product safety, as seen in the UK and New Zealand.
5. “Vapes can cause severe lung injury, including EVALI.”
The Facts: EVALI Was Caused by Black Market THC Products, Not Nicotine Vapes
The EVALI outbreak in the U.S. (2019) was linked to vitamin E acetate, an additive in illicit THC (cannabis) vape cartridges—not nicotine vapes.
Public health authorities, including the CDC, have confirmed that legal nicotine vapes were not responsible for EVALI cases.
Fearmongering about EVALI has been used to push anti-vaping narratives, despite the scientific evidence proving otherwise.
6. “We need to limit vape flavors and make them less enticing.”
The Facts: Flavors Are Essential for Helping Adults Quit Smoking
Most adult vapers prefer fruit and dessert flavors over tobacco flavors because they help disassociate vaping from smoking.
Restricting flavors makes vaping less appealing, increasing the likelihood that smokers will relapse to cigarettes.
Countries like the UK and New Zealand allow flavored vapes while enforcing strict age restrictions, successfully keeping youth vaping rates low.
Banning flavors does not stop youth from accessing vapes—it only makes quitting harder for adult smokers.
7. “The government has seized 1.5 million vapes—this is progress.”
The Facts: Banning Vapes Strengthens the Black Market
Prohibition does not stop demand—it only shifts supply to criminal networks.
The 1.5 million seized vapes are just a fraction of the illegal market, demonstrating that bans are ineffective.
If Australia had a regulated vape market, these products would be legally controlled, eliminating the need for black-market enforcement.
8. “Nicotine withdrawal can cause aggression, irritability, and concentration problems.”
The Facts: Restricting Vape Access Will Make Nicotine Withdrawal Worse for Smokers
Nicotine withdrawal is a real issue, but the best way to manage it is by providing adult smokers with an accessible harm reduction alternative—vaping.
By limiting access to vapes, Australia is making it harder for people to transition away from cigarettes, leading to worse health outcomes.
Countries that allow vaping alongside other nicotine replacement therapies see better success in smoking cessation.
9. “This bill is about targeting Big Tobacco.”
The Facts: These Restrictions Help Big Tobacco, Not Hurt It
Big Tobacco companies (Philip Morris, British American Tobacco) are already moving into the vape market, but they dominate only where regulations favor large corporations.
By banning vapes, the government is pushing smokers back to cigarettes—the very product that Big Tobacco profits from most.
If the goal is to reduce Big Tobacco’s influence, the best strategy is to promote independent vaping companies through sensible regulation.
10. “Australia led the world in tobacco control, and now we must lead again with vaping.”
The Facts: Australia Is Falling Behind in Harm Reduction
The UK and New Zealand have embraced vaping as a crucial tool for reducing smoking rates.
Australia’s restrictive policies have led to one of the world’s largest black markets for vapes, proving that prohibition is not a viable solution.
Instead of leading, Australia is ignoring global best practices and making it harder for smokers to quit.
A More Effective Approach
Dr. Ananda-Rajah’s speech is based on misinformation, fear-mongering, and a misunderstanding of harm reduction science. 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.
