LABOR’S FAILED VAPING LAWS INTRODUCING A NEW GENERATION TO BLACK MARKET CRIME

New RedBridge Group research commissioned by the Australian Association of Convenience Stores
(AACS) reveals:

• Australian Mums are extremely concerned about the government’s failure to control vapes and
  overwhelmingly want the adoption of a proven regulatory model like alcohol and tobacco.
• 70 per cent of voters believe Australia’s weak vaping laws are normalising interactions between
  young Australians and criminals.
• 82 per cent of voters support regulating vapes for adults only in the same way as tobacco sold by
  licensed retailers
• 75 per cent of voters agree or strongly agree that banning the retail sale of vaping products to
  adults has not been successful in stopping children getting access to vapes.
• 71 per cent of voters agree or strongly agree that Australia should adopt a similar regulatory
  regime for vapes through licensed retail outlets such as NZ, the UK, the EU and the USA.

The damming results were found through focus group research of parents and an online survey of 1,518
voters undertaken by Redbridge Research Group in April 2024.

This research finds that even though three-quarters of Australians believe that banning vapes has not
been successful in stopping children from getting access to vapes, the Australian Government is
continuing with the existing unworkable vaping prohibition laws.

For the last two years, the Australian Government has completely failed to control the nicotine vaping
black market, with millions of cheap, unregulated, child-targeted vapes flooding into Australia and being
sold by black market criminals each week, AACS CEO Theo Foukkare said.

“Strictly regulating and controlling vaping products for adults-only has been shown to reduce youth vaping rates by more than 65% in the United States and 19% in New Zealand, 1 yet the Health Minister continues to double down on his prohibition failure.

“Australia can’t afford more of the same, it’s time the Government strictly regulates vaping products as
an adult-only product like alcohol and tobacco with severe restrictions to remove all youth-targeted
flavours and packaging.

“AACS is urging all senators to oppose Labor’s legislation that will only worsen Australia’s youth vaping
crisis and push the Government to adopt the same strict regulatory model for alcohol and tobacco that
has been proven to protect adult consumers with regulated products while reducing underage access.”

The Full RedBridge Research Report can be viewed here: RedBridge Report – Attitudes towards nicotine vaping regulations in Australia – Apr 2024 Final

Theo Foukkare is available for interview on 0423 003 133