What The Media Say - December 2024 To February 2025
- Pippa Starr
- Feb 28
- 29 min read
Updated: Jun 14
This page analyses what is said about Australian vaping and tobacco harm reduction in the media, including what may be published in journals and by influencers.
This will help to hold the media accountable to report accurately and sensibly.
🔥💣💥For all firebombing reports go here>>
Media Sentiment Score (Dec '24 - Feb '25):
Positive | 8 |
Neutral | 11 |
Negative | 10 |
February 2025:
26 February 2025 Smoking Death Rate Higher Than Thought
Sixty-six Australians are dying from smoking-induced causes each day, according to a new report from the Australian National University.
The country is pushing to achieve a national daily smoking prevalence of less than five per cent by 2030, but the report shows there are still 1.8 million Australians who reach for a cigarette each morning.
24 February 2025 3AW Mark Butler Interview
Ellot Says to Butler: Speaking of things that are good for the health; vapes, and you were very strong on this in late 2023. I think you described them as, you know, a health crisis, particularly amongst young people. Now, every day I walk past three shops leaving work to go home that openly sell vapes, they’re tobacco shops, they've got hookah pipes in the window. They have electronics, in one case, a painted sign saying “Vapes here, vapes here, vapes here.” I thought you were going to stamp that out?
What Is Wrong With What Buler Said In This Interview?:
Rebuttal of Misleading or Incorrect Statements by Health Minister Mark Butler:
Mark Butler's statements in this interview contain several misleading claims about vaping rates, enforcement, and public health implications. Below is a detailed rebuttal of key points.
1. “We've had research out over the last couple of months that is showing really good results on vaping rates, particularly among kids. Vaping rates among young people up to 30, teenagers and very young adults is down 30 per cent last year.”
Rebuttal:
The claim that youth vaping has dropped by 30% lacks context and transparency. It is unclear which study he is referring to, what methodology was used, and whether these findings account for underreporting due to fear of legal consequences.
Cherry-picking statistics from self-reported surveys does not necessarily indicate a real decline in vaping—only a decline in reported use. If young people know vaping is now illegal, they may be less likely to admit using it, especially in government-sponsored surveys.
The most important missing piece: Has smoking among youth increased as a result? If vaping rates have fallen but smoking rates have risen, then this is a public health disaster, not a success.
2. “Interestingly, vaping rates for people over the age of 30 has halved in the last year. It's down by 50 per cent.”
Rebuttal:
If true, this is not a sign of success—it is a major public health failure. The majority of vapers over 30 are former or current smokers who use vaping to reduce or quit smoking.
If adult vaping has declined, it likely means that:
Smokers are struggling to access legal vapes and are either going back to cigarettes or resorting to unregulated black-market products.
Fewer smokers are switching to vaping, meaning fewer people are transitioning to a less harmful alternative.
There is no mention of whether smoking rates have changed. If smoking rates have increased due to reduced vaping, then the policy is actively harming public health.
3. “One of the really good results we got from this research… is that school suspensions for vaping are down by 50 per cent just in one year.”
Rebuttal:
A reduction in school suspensions does not mean that vaping has actually declined in schools—it may just mean that schools have changed how they handle vaping incidents.
Schools may be adopting alternative disciplinary measures rather than suspensions, or students may be more discreet in their vaping due to heightened awareness of penalties.
This statistic does not prove a real reduction in youth vaping!
4. “People are openly flouting what is now the law and really strong penalties… Millions of dollars in fines, the potential of jail time for people flouting these laws.”
Rebuttal:
The fact that illicit vape sales are still widespread despite harsh penalties proves that prohibition is failing.
Criminalizing vaping creates a thriving black market rather than stopping use. This is exactly what has happened with tobacco, alcohol, and drug prohibition in the past.
The people most affected by this crackdown are not criminals, but adult smokers who rely on vaping as a harm-reduction tool.
Contrast this with the UK approach: The NHS actively promotes vaping as a smoking cessation tool, while Australia treats it as a criminal issue, making it harder for adults to quit smoking.
5. “We've got a very clear understanding between police agencies and health agencies that where there's some involvement of organised crime, the police will get involved.”
Rebuttal:
The black market was created by the government’s restrictive policies. Before the prescription-only model, vapes were available through regulated vendors.
Now, the market is dominated by criminals. Instead of fixing the policy, the government is spending resources on enforcement, which historically has failed in every other form of prohibition.
Countries with regulated access to vaping—such as the UK, Canada, and New Zealand—do not have the same scale of black-market problems.
6. “This is a serious public health problem.”
Rebuttal:
The real public health crisis is smoking—not vaping. Vaping is at least 95% less harmful than smoking and is one of the most effective smoking cessation tools available.
The Australian government should be focusing on reducing smoking rates, but instead, it has created a policy environment where:
Smokers have limited access to vapes.
The black market flourishes with unregulated products.
Youth still access vapes illegally, while adult smokers face unnecessary barriers to quitting.
Butler is misframing vaping as a crisis, when the real problem is smoking and the unintended consequences of prohibition.
7. “Now we're starting to see good results in terms of vaping behaviour by young people, but we've got to lift the game on enforcement.”
Rebuttal:
The “good results” Butler refers to are questionable at best. If the crackdown on vaping is not reducing youth smoking rates, then it is a failure.
The key question remains unanswered: Has youth smoking increased? If smoking rates rise because vaping is less accessible, then the government is actively harming public health.
The focus on enforcement is misguided. Instead of pushing vapers into the black market, Australia should adopt a tightly regulated legal market, similar to:
The UK’s licensed retail system.
New Zealand’s approach, which allows adult access while enforcing strong youth protections.
Final Verdict on Butler’s Claims
📌 Key Takeaways:
✅ Vaping rates among youth may not actually be declining—reporting bias, enforcement, and underreporting could be influencing the data.
✅ The reduction in adult vaping is a disaster, not a success. It likely means more smokers are struggling to quit or returning to cigarettes.
✅ Prohibition has failed—illicit vape sales are rampant despite harsh penalties, proving that black markets thrive when legal access is restricted.
✅ School suspensions falling does not mean youth vaping has dropped—it could mean that schools are simply handling cases differently.
✅ Butler’s approach prioritizes enforcement over public health, ignoring international evidence that regulated access is the most effective strategy.
The Better Alternative?
🚀 Instead of a failing prohibition model, Australia should:🔹 Allow regulated retail access for adult smokers while strictly enforcing age restrictions.🔹 Crack down on black-market suppliers, rather than punishing adult vapers and retailers who follow regulations.🔹 Adopt harm reduction strategies, like the UK, Canada, and New Zealand, where vaping is recognized as a public health tool.🔹 End fear-based misinformation campaigns, which discourage smokers from switching to a safer alternative.
Butler’s “success story” is a policy failure in disguise. Instead of protecting public health, Australia’s vaping policy is driving harm underground, criminalizing smokers, and fueling a dangerous black market. 🚨
24 February 2025 - 1044 Illicit Tobacco Stores In Victoria
A Herald Sun investigation can reveal 1044 shops have been found selling illegal cigarettes, vapes or tobacco pouches since March 2023, when the firebombings began.
There are 534 Woolworths and 425 Coles stores in Victoria, a total of 959 shops.
22 February 2025 - Fiona Patten CTA Feature
Look, I can’t say much more other than they are idiots. Idiots who think that they’re mighty in regards to tobacco control. That combination of ego and idiocy is driving their response to vaping.
20 February 2025 - How Illegal Tobacco Is Enticing Smokers
Australia is a world leader in tobacco control and our high tobacco taxes have made smoking an incredibly expensive habit.But in the last couple of years, there's been a big shift in how tobacco is being sold in Australia.
These cheap and easy to buy untaxed cigarettes are driving organised crime and making it harder for people to quit.
GuestsCoral Gartner - Professor of Public Health, University of QueenslandTara - longer term smoker
19 February 2025 - Ipswich Crackdown On Vapes
West Moreton Health is warning businesses ignoring Queensland’s smoking laws that they will get caught, while also encouraging those struggling with nicotine addition to seek support.
In a significant public health win, one company was fined $45,000 plus $2,250 in professional costs by the Ipswich Magistrates Court on 17 January 2025 for selling illicit tobacco and vapes, as well as breaching regulations on the display and advertising of smoking products.
Just days later, on 20 January 2025, another business that sold vapes, was fined $40,000 plus $250 in professional costs for unlawfully supplying nicotine, a hazardous poison.
What Is Wrong With This Article?:
While the article attempts to highlight public health concerns regarding illicit tobacco and vaping products, it presents several misleading claims, lacks evidence-based information, and overlooks key facts about vaping and harm reduction. Here’s a breakdown of the major issues:
1. Misleading Language and Fear-Based Messaging
The article repeatedly emphasizes “dangerously high levels of nicotine” and “toxic chemicals” in illegal vapes without clear evidence or context.
✅ Fact Check: While illicit vaping products can be unregulated and may pose risks, regulated nicotine vapes are significantly less harmful than smoking. Public Health England (now OHID) and Cancer Research UK confirm that vaping is substantially less harmful than smoking.
Statements that vaping “causes lung damage, heart issues, and long-term addiction” are unsubstantiated when referring to legal vaping products.
🚨 Problem: The language ignores the scientific consensus that nicotine itself is not a major cause of smoking-related diseases.
It is the tar and toxins in combustible tobacco smoke that cause harm, not nicotine.
2. Incorrect Characterization of Nicotine as a “Hazardous Poison”
The article refers to nicotine as a “hazardous poison.” While nicotine is toxic in large doses, it is widely used safely in approved nicotine replacement therapies (NRT) such as patches, gums, and inhalers.
✅ Fact Check: Nicotine’s risks are dose-dependent and not inherently poisonous in the amounts found in regulated e-liquids or NRT products. The Royal College of Physicians states that nicotine, in the doses used in vaping, presents minimal risk.
🚨 Problem: By equating nicotine with “poison,” the article perpetuates stigma around vaping products, potentially deterring adult smokers from switching to a less harmful alternative.
3. Omission of Harm Reduction Evidence
The article fails to mention that vaping is one of the most effective tools for smoking cessation. Evidence from multiple studies confirms that vaping is at least as effective — if not more effective — than traditional NRT in helping smokers quit.
✅ Fact Check: The UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines endorse vaping as a viable cessation tool for smokers. The NHS and Cancer Research UK consistently promote vaping as a less harmful alternative to smoking.
🚨 Problem: By failing to communicate the benefits of vaping for smokers, the article misses a crucial opportunity to educate the public about tobacco harm reduction.
4. Conflation of Illicit and Regulated Vaping Products
The article blurs the line between unregulated, illicit vapes and regulated, legal nicotine products.
✅ Fact Check: Illicit vaping products can indeed be unsafe due to unknown ingredients and excessive nicotine levels. However, regulated vaping products sold in the UK, Australia (via prescription), and Europe adhere to strict safety standards that limit nicotine content and ban harmful additives.
🚨 Problem: The article fails to distinguish between dangerous black-market vapes and safer, regulated vaping products designed to help smokers quit.
5. Overemphasis on Enforcement and Penalties
The article strongly emphasizes punitive measures such as fines and imprisonment without addressing the root cause of the black market: Australia’s overly restrictive prescription-only model for nicotine vaping.
✅ Fact Check: Australia’s prescription-only model has unintentionally fueled the illegal vape market, making it easier for minors to obtain unregulated products. A well-regulated retail model — as seen in the UK and New Zealand — has proven far more effective in reducing youth access while ensuring safe products for adult smokers.
🚨 Problem: Stronger enforcement alone will not solve the black-market issue. Solutions must include accessible, regulated vaping products with clear age restrictions.
6. Inadequate Support for Smokers Seeking to Quit
While the article mentions Quitline and NRT, it neglects the evidence that vaping is a more effective quitting aid for many smokers.
✅ Fact Check: Research shows that smokers who switch to vaping are more likely to quit successfully than those relying solely on willpower or NRT.
🚨 Problem: Failing to provide accurate, evidence-based guidance on vaping as a cessation tool may deter smokers from making a switch that could significantly improve their health.
The article presents an incomplete and potentially misleading narrative about vaping.
While it correctly warns about the dangers of unregulated products, it fails to:
Acknowledge the proven benefits of regulated vaping products for adult smokers.
Differentiate between legal and illicit vaping products.
Present a balanced harm reduction approach that combines public education, access to safer alternatives, and targeted enforcement.
Suggested Improvements for Public Messaging:
✅ Emphasize the importance of regulated nicotine products as a safer alternative for adult smokers.✅ Promote licensed retail models with strict age-verification processes to reduce youth access.✅ Educate the public that nicotine itself is not the primary cause of smoking-related diseases.✅ Encourage clear, evidence-based messaging that vaping is an effective tool for quitting smoking, not a product for non-smokers or youth.
By aligning public health messaging with established evidence, Queensland authorities can better protect youth, reduce black-market sales, and support adult smokers in making informed choices for improved health outcomes.
19 February 2025 - Experts Say Tobacco Fuelling Crime
A criminal turf war has been increasingly spilling out into the open with more than 40 firebombing attacks on illicit tobacco and vape shops across Victoria in the last six months alone.
Australia’s success in reducing smoking has led to smokers here being taxed at one of the highest rates amongst comparable nations, with taxes set to further increase.
Criminologists like Dr James martin from Deakin university question whether the tax increases are fuelling this rise in criminal activity.
18 February 2025 - Innocent Women's Death In Firebombing
A Melbourne woman, who died after becoming trapped inside a townhouse targeted in a firebombing attack, has been confirmed as the first "innocent" victim of the ongoing war over the city's illicit tobacco market.
17 February 2025 - Promising Signs Teen Reforms Are Working
World-leading vaping reforms in Australia are making a difference in the nation’s schools, according to new data, which shows the country is among the first globally to show early signs of success in slowing or halting the rise in adolescent vape access and use.
What Is Wrong With This Article?:
Rebuttal of Misleading or Questionable Statements in the EducationHQ Article
The article claims that Australia’s world-leading vaping reforms are working based on early indicators from a Cancer Council report. However, there are several misleading or unsubstantiated assertions in the piece that require closer scrutiny.
1. “World-leading vaping reforms in Australia are making a difference in the nation’s schools...”
Rebuttal:
While the government has introduced some of the most extreme restrictions on vaping globally, Australia remains an outlier compared to other leading public health nations like the UK, New Zealand, and Canada, which have embraced regulated access rather than prohibition.
Prohibitionist policies have historically failed in other public health domains. The black market for vaping in Australia is booming, with unregulated products still readily available to youth despite the ban.
2. “The new Cancer Council report says... Australia is turning the corner on youth vaping.”
Rebuttal:
The Cancer Council has a well-documented bias against vaping, often cherry-picking data to support its anti-vaping stance while ignoring the benefits of harm reduction.
Youth vaping figures in Australia have been historically overestimated by public health groups, and self-reported data from surveys can be unreliable due to social desirability bias—where respondents tell researchers what they think they want to hear.
3. “85% of people aged 14 to 17 reported they had never vaped.”
Rebuttal:
This figure may seem high, but it aligns with previous data that showed regular vaping among youth remains low and is mostly confined to those who previously smoked.
International research consistently finds that youth vaping does not lead to smoking, but rather displaces it.
4. “The proportion of young people who have never smoked is also at its highest rate at almost 94%...”
Rebuttal:
This statistic supports the argument that vaping is not creating a new generation of smokers. If vaping were truly a gateway to smoking, we would expect smoking rates to increase, not decrease.
Instead of acknowledging this positive trend, the article uses it to justify continued restrictions, even though a more reasonable conclusion would be that vaping is contributing to the decline in youth smoking.
5. “Young people are more aware than ever before of the dangers of vaping...”
Rebuttal:
The fact that 82% of young people now believe vaping is unsafe suggests that misinformation campaigns have been highly effective in spreading fear.
This statistic does not reflect an objective assessment of risk. The overwhelming scientific consensus, including the UK NHS, Public Health England, and the Royal College of Physicians, confirms that vaping is at least 95% less harmful than smoking.
Fear-based messaging may discourage adult smokers from switching to vaping, prolonging smoking rates and increasing health harms.
6. “Mark Butler: ‘We have finally turned the corner on the scourge of vaping.’”
Rebuttal:
The framing of vaping as a scourge ignores its well-documented public health benefits. Vaping is a tool for smoking cessation, and many ex-smokers rely on it to stay smoke-free.
The government’s prohibitionist approach has driven vaping underground, making it harder to regulate and easier for criminals to profit.
In contrast, the UK actively encourages adult smokers to switch to vaping, offering free vape kits to those trying to quit smoking.
7. “Since October 1, all vapes have been available only as behind-the-counter sales in pharmacies.”
Rebuttal:
The prescription model has been a failure. Very few doctors are willing to prescribe nicotine vapes, and the complexity of the system discourages smokers from switching.
This policy has not been adopted by any other leading public health nation, because it makes access harder for adult smokers while doing little to prevent youth vaping.
The real consequence has been a thriving black market, with criminal networks now controlling supply, rather than licensed retailers.
8. “Rates have dropped by a third in 15 to 29-year-olds, according to SAHMRI.”
Rebuttal:
No details are given on how this data was collected or how vaping use was measured.
If true, this could reflect fear-based deterrence rather than a genuine reduction in demand—meaning users may have simply shifted to unregulated sources rather than quitting.
If vaping rates truly have dropped, but smoking rates have not—this would be a public health failure, not a success.
9. “Suspensions relating to vaping at South Australian schools have dropped by 50%.”
Rebuttal:
The decline in suspensions may not mean a real reduction in youth vaping. Schools may have simply adjusted their enforcement policies or found alternative disciplinary measures.
Without reliable tracking mechanisms, we cannot conclude that fewer students are vaping—only that they are being caught less often.
10. “Efforts nationwide to ban mobile phones in schools also appear to be having the desired effect.”
Rebuttal:
The mobile phone ban is unrelated to vaping policies, yet it is mentioned in a way that suggests both policies are equally successful.
While reducing distractions in class may be beneficial, this does not validate the government's approach to vaping.
Final Thoughts: A Public Health Opportunity Squandered
Australia’s approach to vaping remains an outlier, ignoring the harm reduction benefits recognized by public health authorities in the UK, New Zealand, and Sweden.
The government and anti-vaping groups continue to frame vaping as a crisis, despite evidence that it:
Helps adult smokers quit.
Does not lead to youth smoking.
Is far less harmful than smoking.
Is best managed through regulation, not prohibition.
Instead of acknowledging the failure of a prescription-only/pharmacist model, policymakers double down on misinformation—ignoring the fact that bans fuel black markets, make adult access harder, and leave youth more vulnerable to illegal products.
The article conflates youth vaping with a broader moral panic, and offers no solutions for adult smokers—who remain the real victims of poor regulation.
What Should Be Done Instead?
Adopt a regulated consumer model, where adult smokers can legally access safe, tested products.
Increase enforcement on the black market, rather than punishing legal retailers and adult users.
Stop misinformation campaigns, which scare smokers away from switching.
Follow international best practices, rather than pushing policies no other country has successfully implemented.
The Bottom Line
Australia has not turned a corner on vaping—it has simply pushed it underground. The so-called "success" of these reforms is a dangerous illusion, and the real losers are adult smokers seeking a safer alternative.
17 February 2025 - This Bad Habit Could Give Your Kids Cancer
The article by Jack Nivison in the Herald Sun, "This bad habit could give your kids cancer", contains several misleading or inaccurate claims about vaping and third-hand exposure. Below are the key points where the article is problematic, backed by evidence:
1. Third-hand Vaping Exposure and Health Risks
The article claims that "children and teenagers were highly susceptible to ingestion, absorption, and inhalation of e-cigarette vapour simply by being within close proximity of the residue left behind by vaping."
The reality: There is no solid evidence that third-hand exposure to vaping residues poses a significant health risk. According to Dr. Colin Mendelsohn and the NHS, vaping releases far fewer harmful chemicals than smoking, and passive exposure is significantly lower than with traditional cigarettes.
What experts say: The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) has stated that “there is no direct evidence that passive exposure is likely to cause significant harm”.
2. Mice Study Extrapolation to Humans
The article refers to a Woolcock Institute study on mice, claiming that even touching nicotine-free vape liquid caused cognitive impairment.
The reality: Animal studies do not directly translate to human health risks. The doses and exposure methods used in laboratory settings often do not reflect real-world human exposure.
Key issue: Studies on rodents often use extreme exposure levels that do not mimic human vaping habits. For example, the RANZCP notes that “nicotine vaping products have specific risks, but they must be balanced against their potential to reduce smoking-related harm”.
3. Formaldehyde and Cancer Risk
The article states that “one of the most common chemicals in vapes is formaldehyde” and “exposure to formaldehyde 100% does cause cancer”.
The reality: While formaldehyde can be produced in very high-temperature conditions (e.g., dry-puffing), normal vaping temperatures do not generate dangerous levels of formaldehyde.
Public health expert perspective: Cancer Research UK states, “There is no good evidence that vaping causes cancer. Vaping is far less harmful than smoking because e-cigarettes don’t contain tobacco”.
4. Vape Residue on Windscreens and Health Risks
The article refers to a Reddit user struggling with vape residue on their windscreen and then links this to serious health risks.
The reality: Vape residue is primarily a mix of propylene glycol and vegetable glycerine, which are not classified as toxic or harmful to health at the levels typically encountered.
Important context: Unlike tar from cigarettes, which contains thousands of harmful chemicals, vape residue does not contain the same carcinogenic byproducts.
5. Youth Anxiety and Brain Damage Claims
The article states that mice exposed to nicotine vape aerosol experienced “brain cell destruction” and “heightened anxiety”.
The reality: No high-quality human studies support the claim that nicotine vaping causes brain cell destruction. While nicotine can have effects on the developing brain, the risks are much lower than the risks of smoking.
What studies actually show: The NHS states that “nicotine itself does not cause cancer, lung disease, heart disease, or stroke”.
6. Exaggeration of Youth Vaping Crisis
The article suggests that youth vaping is a massive and growing public health threat in Australia.
The reality: Data from ASH UK and other public health sources show that most youth vaping is experimental and short-term, and regular vaping among non-smoking youth is uncommon.
Expert insight: The UK’s Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) concluded that “vaping is at least as effective as other quitting methods and contributes to smoking decline in populations where it is accessible”.
The article by Jack Nivison is misleading and exaggerated in several areas. It employs fear-based tactics, misinterprets scientific studies, and fails to provide balanced evidence. The biggest flaws include:
Lack of evidence on third-hand vaping exposure risks.
Overreliance on animal studies that do not translate well to human risks.
False claims about formaldehyde and cancer risk.
Misleading claims about vape residue.
Overstating youth vaping concerns without considering its role in reducing smoking.
For a balanced and evidence-based perspective on vaping, refer to Public Health England, Cancer Research UK, the NHS, and the Royal College of Physicians.
14 February 2025 - Ben Youdan - 100's Of 1000's Switching To Vaping
Action for Smokefree 2025 Director Ben Youdan says “hundreds of thousands” of people in New Zealand have switched from vaping to smoking.
Mr Youdan says vaping is “substantially less harmful” than smoking.
“There’s been significant reviews of global evidence,” he told Sky News Australia.
“People smoke from the nicotine, but it’s the smoke and the tar … that causes almost all the death and diseases.
“In New Zealand, we’ve seen hundreds of thousands of people have switched to vaping from smoking.
“To the point where we’ve actually seen smoking reach half in five years.”
13 February 2025 - Cancer Council 25 Year Smoking Crusade
"In a powerful new advertisement marking 25 years of the "Make Smoking History" campaign, the Cancer Council of Western Australia has delivered a poignant message: quitting may be hard, but the heartbreak inflicted on loved ones is far more devastating."
What is wrong with this article?
The article correctly highlights the dangers of smoking but misrepresents vaping by downplaying its role in harm reduction and overstating its risks. A more balanced approach, acknowledging that vaping is far safer than smoking and can help smokers quit, would provide a more scientifically accurate message.
13 February 2025 - QLD Gov Spends $2M On Bin Fires
The Queensland government has announced $2 million to help put a lid on bin fires sparked by batteries found in e-scooters, vapes, and electric toothbrushes.
Vision released by the Brisbane City Council has detailed a string of incidents in recent years where battery fires have erupted at local dumps.
The council said fires have also broken out in garbage trucks — forcing drivers to dump the rubbish as quickly as possible.
12 February 2025 - Less Restrictive Vaping Laws = Faster Smoking Decline
University of Queensland researchers have found smoking rates have declined twice as fast in New Zealand as in Australia, suggesting less restrictive regulation on vaping could improve public health outcomes.
10 February 2025 - Why Banning Vapes Is Not The Answer
However, lessons from past prohibitions, from alcohol to tobacco, suggest that bans tend to exacerbate the problems they seek to solve. History and evidence indicate that regulation is a far more effective and ethical approach.
By adopting a harm reduction framework, Victoria can manage e-cigarettes in a way that prioritises public health, minimises criminal justice impacts, and curtails illicit markets.
by Lili Cavanah - Drug Policy Australia
10 February 2025 - Not Till 2026 Vic Tobacco Laws To Be Enforced
Retailers have slammed the state government for its “farcical” response to the tobacco black market as it’s revealed inspectors won’t be checking for illicit smokes until at least 2026.
Dedicated inspectors will not be on the ground enforcing the tobacco licensing scheme for at least another year, the Herald Sun can reveal.
Despite legislation being passed in November last year, and the scheme set to be operational in five months, the Herald Sun can reveal licensing inspectors won’t be checking for illicit tobacco until at least 2026.
by Jon Kaila Herald Sun
January 2025:
31 January 2025 - Caroline Miller From SAHMRI On Radio
Prof Caroline Miller, Director of the Health Policy Centre at SAHMRI on the increase in people vaping – 90,000 in the past three months.
Why Caroline Miller is wrong:
Caroline Miller's claims in the interview contain several misconceptions and inaccuracies regarding vaping. Here’s why she is incorrect based on evidence from leading public health sources:
1. Claim: “We don’t really know the long-term effects of vaping.”
Correction: While vaping is a relatively new technology, substantial evidence already indicates it is far less harmful than smoking. Public Health England (now the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities) has consistently stated that vaping is at least 95% less harmful than smoking. The Royal College of Physicians supports this, noting that the risks are unlikely to exceed 5% of those associated with smoking.
While long-term data is still accumulating, existing toxicology and epidemiological studies support vaping as a much safer alternative to smoking.
2. Claim: “A lot of vapes contain tobacco.”
Correction: This is incorrect. Vapes do not contain tobacco; they contain nicotine, which is extracted from tobacco but does not include the harmful combustion-related toxins found in cigarettes. The harm from smoking comes primarily from combustion, not nicotine itself.
Cancer Research UK confirms that e-cigarettes do not contain tobacco and do not produce tar or carbon monoxide, the most harmful components of cigarette smoke.
3. Claim: “People who have never smoked are three times as likely to take up smoking if they start vaping.”
Correction: The "gateway theory" is widely debunked. The association between vaping and later smoking is likely due to shared risk factors, not causation. Studies show that most non-smoking youth who experiment with vaping do not go on to become regular smokers.
A major review by Public Health England found that vaping is diverting people away from smoking, not towards it.
4. Claim: “Vaping comes with a huge hit of nicotine, which gets people hooked.”
Correction: While nicotine is addictive, the level of addiction in vaping is generally lower than smoking. The NHS states that nicotine is relatively harmless on its own and has been used safely in nicotine replacement therapy for years. Moreover, vapers have control over their nicotine intake and can reduce it over time.
5. Claim: “The government is legislating to protect young people.”
Correction: Australia’s vaping policies have created a booming black market, making it harder for adult smokers to access regulated products while exposing youth to illicit and unregulated vapes. Countries with regulated retail sales, such as the UK and New Zealand, have lower youth vaping rates than Australia, suggesting that a well-regulated market is more effective than prohibition.
Caroline Miller’s statements reflect a fear-based narrative that misrepresents the science on vaping, ignoring the vast body of research showing that:
Vaping is significantly less harmful than smoking.
Nicotine itself is not the primary cause of smoking-related diseases.
Most vapers are current or former smokers, and vaping is an effective quitting tool.
There is no robust evidence that vaping leads to smoking in non-smokers.
Banning legal vapes fuels an unregulated black market, worsening youth access issues.
For a balanced, evidence-based perspective, policymakers should look to the UK and New Zealand, where vaping is integrated into smoking cessation programs rather than being criminalized.
30 January 2025 - Tobacco Taxes At Nine Year Low
Tobacco excise revenue has shrunk to a nine-year low as smokers turn to the black market for cheaper cigarettes, prompting calls for the federal government to boost enforcement to plug the growing shortfall.
The federal government collected just $9.7 billion from the tobacco excise last financial year, according to Treasury, a 40 per cent fall from the record $16.3 billion haul in 2019-20 and the lowest take since 2014-15.
28 January 2025 - QLD Laws Used For First Time
Queensland's crime watchdog has wielded controversial confiscation laws against alleged sellers of illicit tobacco for the first time, targeting a man who says he once worked in Iraqi military intelligence.
The Supreme Court action has already frozen assets, including $836,000 in cash, bank accounts and four properties that authorities allege are linked to Oliver Bailey.
25 January 2025 - Vic's Turf War Bill Tops $70 Million
Tobacconists and businesses have copped tens of millions of dollars in damages amid the state’s disastrous illicit tobacco warfare — and the number of attacks is still on rise. See the stats.
And after 128 arson hits on businesses linked to the friction within the tobacco turf war, the total damage bill has been estimated to be more than $70m.
The true cost of the tobacco war is sure to be far greater as that figure does not account for a rise in insurance premiums, police resources, court and legal costs.
22 January 2025 - Wodak Vs Chapman Podcast
We hear from not one but two widely regarded experts on the regulations best imposed on smoking and vaping regulations with each holding contrasting conclusions.
featuring Harm Reduction Australia member Dr Alex Wodak and University of Sydney Public Health Emeritus Professor Simon Chapman
reporters: Dr John Jiggens and Mia Armitage
11 January 2025 - Bikie Gangs Tobacco & Vapes War Involvement
All of Australia’s big-six bikie gangs have had a part in the raging tobacco wars of the past two years.
Some of the bikies’ work is hand in glove with the powerful Middle-eastern organised crime syndicates which are fighting to control the multi-billion dollar sector.
The bikies have been implicated in firebombings of shops and other businesses, but there has also been evidence they are connected to big importations of smokes and vapes.
by: Mark Buttler and Regan Hodge Herald Sun
2 January 2025 - IGA Loses $150M In Tobacco Sales
Australia's major independent supermarket chain says its stores are losing millions of dollars a year in legal cigarette sales due to the surge in the illicit tobacco trade.
The boss of IGA is calling on federal and state governments to do more when it comes to stopping the trade of illicit tobacco.
It comes after the supermarket chain recorded a loss of $150 million in legal cigarette sales over the last three years.
2024
December 2024:
18 December 2024 - $2 Mill Vapes Seized In Perth
In a significant crackdown on the illegal vape market, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and WA Health have conducted a successful joint enforcement operation, with assistance from Australian Federal Police (AFP), resulting in the seizure of more than 60,000 allegedly illicit vapes valued at just under $1.9 million and $198,000 of infringement notices being issued to 10 retail businesses across Perth for unlawful vape supply..
Critique:
1. Missed Acknowledgement of Vaping's Role in Harm Reduction
🔎 Vaping as a Harm Reduction Tool for Smokers:
The statement neglects to mention that regulated nicotine vapes are a proven harm reduction tool for adult smokers trying to quit combustible cigarettes. Research from the NHS, Royal College of Physicians, and Cancer Research UK all confirm that vaping is significantly less harmful than smoking and one of the most effective quitting aids available.
The omission risks demonizing all vaping products rather than distinguishing between legitimate therapeutic use and illicit products.
🔎 Impact on Adult Smokers Seeking Safer Alternatives:
With the crackdown limiting retail access and restricting vapes to pharmacies only, smokers may find it harder to access regulated, safer products, increasing the risk of relapse to smoking—a far more harmful behavior.
2. Potential for Unintended Consequences
🔎 Strengthening the Black Market:
Evidence from Australia’s previous prescription-only model shows that restricting legal access to vapes fuelled the illicit market, where unregulated products were sold without age checks or quality control.
The seizure of 60,000 vapes underscores this risk — it highlights demand that the prescription-only model struggles to meet.
🔎 Illicit Market Risks:
Black market vapes are more likely to contain harmful contaminants or incorrect nicotine levels, posing a greater risk to public health.
3. Exaggeration of Youth Vaping Threat
🔎 Overstating the Youth Vaping Crisis:
While preventing youth vaping is essential, data from both Australian and UK studies show that regular vaping among never-smoker youth is rare, and most youth experimentation is infrequent or short-term.
The language used — “threatens the well-being of our young people” — risks amplifying fear rather than encouraging evidence-based strategies.
4. Lack of Support for Harm Reduction Framework
🔎 Absence of Balanced Regulation:
Countries like the UK and New Zealand have successfully adopted a regulated retail model where vapes are available in designated outlets with strict age verification, quality control, and product standards. This model encourages safer vaping behaviors while discouraging youth access.
🔎 Evidence-Based Solutions Missing:
The Royal College of Physicians, ASH (Action on Smoking and Health), and NHS all advocate for a balanced approach that:
Ensures safe vapes are easily accessible to adult smokers.
Implements robust education campaigns to reduce youth experimentation.
Regulates vape marketing and product standards.
5. Overly Harsh Penalties Without Clear Impact
🔎 Heavy Penalties Risk Disproportionate Outcomes:
While strict penalties aim to deter illegal activities, they may inadvertently penalize small businesses or individuals who unknowingly violate complex regulations.
🔎 Lack of Evidence on Penalties’ Effectiveness:
Harsh penalties alone have limited impact without complementary public health strategies like education campaigns, regulated retail models, and cessation support for smokers.
While the government’s efforts to reduce illicit vape sales are understandable, this crackdown risks neglecting the role of vaping as a key harm reduction strategy. Evidence from Australia’s past enforcement attempts shows that prohibition-style tactics have failed, driving growth in the illicit market and reducing access to safer products for smokers.
For optimal public health outcomes, Australia would benefit from:
A regulated retail model for licensed vape sales alongside strict age verification.
Education campaigns that highlight vaping as a smoking cessation tool for adults while deterring youth uptake.
Product quality control to ensure safe and standardized nicotine levels.
The media release's tone risks promoting fear-based messaging rather than encouraging an evidence-based, balanced strategy that prioritizes both public health and harm reduction.
11 December 2024 - Butler adds $107 Mill On Vape Enforcement
The Albanese Government has committed an additional $107 million for the regulation and enforcement of Australia’s world-leading new laws on vaping products. The Department of Health and Aged Care and the Therapeutic Good Administration (TGA) will use this funding to continue its work to crack down on non-therapeutic vapes, regulate vaping goods as therapeutic goods, and enforce the ban on advertising of vaping goods.
🔎 Misdirection of Focus – Harm Reduction Neglected:
The statement fails to recognize vaping’s established role as a harm reduction tool for adult smokers. Evidence consistently shows that vaping is significantly less harmful than smoking and is one of the most effective methods for smoking cessation.
Countries like the UK have embraced vaping as a harm reduction strategy. The Royal College of Physicians supports e-cigarettes as a safer alternative for smokers and recommends promoting their use among adult smokers to improve public health.
🔎 Youth Vaping Exaggerations:
Evidence shows that most youth who vape are current or former smokers, and frequent vaping by never-smokers is rare.
Data from the UK and Australia highlights that concerns about a “generation hooked on nicotine” are overstated.
🔎 Potential for Counterproductive Outcomes:
The prohibition-style approach could worsen the black market, where unregulated and potentially more dangerous products may flourish.
Similar restrictions in Australia’s past have led to a thriving black market for vapes, often with poor product quality and unknown ingredients.
🔎 Impact on Adult Smokers:
Restricting access to regulated, safer vaping products may discourage adult smokers from switching to vaping. This could drive some back to smoking, which is far more harmful.
🔎 Missed Opportunity for Evidence-Based Regulation:
Expert advice often recommends a regulated retail model—where vapes are sold by licensed retailers with strict age verification and product standards—rather than a prescription-only system.
Countries such as New Zealand and the UK have found success with this approach by balancing access for adult smokers while minimizing youth uptake.
🔎 Harsh Penalties – Disproportionate Response:
Imposing penalties such as seven years in jail and fines up to $21.9 million appears excessive. Comparable public health issues like alcohol and tobacco have not seen such severe legal measures.
10 December 2024 - Only 3500 Vapes Sold In Chemists
Pharmacies have been slow to take up the sale of vapes, despite new laws restricting other sellers, with only 3,500 vapes sold without a prescription in a month.
Chemist Warehouse is among the powerful shareholders in Liber Pharmaceuticals, a company that has vowed to never target the recreational market.
by ABC - Rhiana Whitson
April 2024:
12 April 2024 - Better To Vape Than Smoke NSW Inquiry Told
Two messages echoed through several testimonies at today’s session of the NSW inquiry into e-cigarette regulation and compliance: prohibition measures will not work, and it’s better to vape than to smoke.
by Medical Republic - Laura Woodrow
2023
May 2023:
15 May 2023 - Question Marks Over Vaping Reforms
Last week, Australian Health Minister Mark Butler announced a major policy shift on vaping, pushing for stronger regulation and enforcement of all e-cigarettes, including new controls on their importation, contents and packaging.
What have they got wrong in this article?
1. Misrepresentation of Australian Vaping Regulations
The article states:
“Nicotine-filled vapes are already banned and that all the government is doing is extending this ban to non-nicotine devices.”
What’s wrong with this statement?
This misrepresents the situation. Nicotine vapes were already available in Australia via prescription, but the black market flourished due to the restrictive prescription model. The new laws further tighten access, which will likely increase illicit sales, not decrease them.
Evidence from the UK and other jurisdictions suggests that a regulated consumer model, rather than prohibition, is more effective at controlling youth access while allowing adult smokers access to harm reduction tools.
2. Lack of Context on the Black Market and Disposable vs. Refillable Devices
The article states:
"Disposable devices will be banned, it seems that refillable devices will still be available, meaning that people could still find ways to access nicotine 'juice' fairly easily on the black market."
What’s wrong with this statement?
The black market exists because of Australia’s restrictive prescription-only model, which has already made illicit sales the dominant supply chain.
Countries like the UK and New Zealand, where vaping products are regulated and sold legally, have far lower levels of illicit trade.
Banning disposables while keeping refillables is actually a sensible harm reduction move, as it prevents waste and allows better regulation of nicotine levels.
3. Downplaying Vaping’s Effectiveness as a Quit Aid
The article states:
“Professor Oliver also questions the effectiveness of vapes with helping people quit smoking cigarettes.”
What’s wrong with this statement?
The evidence overwhelmingly shows that vaping is the most effective smoking cessation tool available today, outperforming nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) in clinical trials.
The 2019 New England Journal of Medicine study cited in the article found vaping was twice as effective as NRT, which is highly significant.
The NHS, Royal College of Physicians, Cancer Research UK, and other health bodies support vaping as a cessation tool because of this effectiveness.
4. Misleading Claim About Nicotine Dependence
The article states:
“From my point of view, having nearly 10% of people totally nicotine free is better than having 18% of people transition addicted to e-cigarettes, which probably have more nicotine than a normal cigarette.”
What’s wrong with this statement?
Nicotine is not the main cause of smoking-related disease; combustion is.
Vaping allows smokers to consume nicotine without the thousands of toxic chemicals in cigarette smoke.
The claim that vapes contain more nicotine than cigarettes is misleading. While some e-liquids contain high concentrations of nicotine, users generally self-regulate their intake, and studies show that vaping delivers lower levels of nicotine than cigarettes in most cases.
Vaping is less addictive than smoking because it lacks the other reinforcing chemicals in tobacco smoke.
5. Overstating the Adequacy of Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT)
The article states:
"There’s quite a few nicotine replacement products on the market already, and I don’t think that vapes necessarily offer a lot more than patches, sprays and lozenges."
What’s wrong with this statement?
NRT has low success rates (5-10%) compared to vaping (50-60% success for those who switch completely).
Vaping provides a behavioral replacement for smoking, which NRT lacks, making it more effective.
Countries that have promoted vaping for quitting, like the UK and New Zealand, have seen record declines in smoking rates, unlike Australia, where smoking rates are stagnating.
Final Verdict
This article misrepresents both the vaping regulations and the science on vaping’s effectiveness as a quit aid. The restrictive policies it supports are actually counterproductive, as they fuel the black market and discourage smokers from switching to a less harmful alternative.
For a more evidence-based perspective, see the Royal College of Physicians, NHS, and Cancer Research UK, all of which affirm vaping’s role in reducing smoking-related harm.
3 May 2023 - Australia Bans Non-Prescription Vaping Expert Reaction
Vapes with flavours and bright colours will be restricted, and non-prescription vape imports will be more tightly controlled in Australia.
The changes come as part of a host of new measures aimed at restricting the use of vapes in Australia.
In March the New Zealand government finished consultation on proposed measures to crack down on youth vaping.
The SMC gathered expert comment.
April 2023:
17 April 2023 - Research on Vaping Pregnancy
