Minderoo Foundation welcomes federal government’s crackdown on vaping

The Director of Minderoo Foundation’s Collaborate Against Cancer initiative, Professor Claire Wakefield, said Minderoo Foundation has a long history of collaborating with peak health bodies, and advocating for legislative change, to limit the power and influence of the tobacco and vaping industry in Australia.

“Today’s announcement from Health Minister Mark Butler is an important first step in stopping the threat to public health of recreational vaping, and taking action to restrict the supply of, and access to, non-prescription e-cigarettes, commonly known as vapes,” said Professor Wakefield.

“Conclusive evidence has shown vaping causes addiction, poisoning, toxicity seizures, burns and lung injury.”

The Minderoo Foundation-backed Generation Vape study revealed that 80 per cent of 14-17-year-olds who have vaped in NSW found it ‘very easy’, ‘easy’ or ‘quite easy’ to access vapes.

“Limiting access to vapes, and empowering young people to confidently say no to vaping, is key to preventing immediate and possible long-term harm,” said Professor Wakefield.

“Nicotine is highly addictive and Minderoo Foundation strongly supports moves to prevent the uptake of vapes by young people and those who have never smoked.”

Research shows that non-smokers who vape are about three times as likely to go on to smoke cigarettes, compared with people who do not vape. Smoking remains the largest risk factor to disease burden and death in Australia.

Minderoo Foundation welcomes measures to reduce the appeal and use of vapes outside the prescription pathway, such as banning single-use disposable vapes; introducing minimum quality standards on flavours, colours and ingredients; pharmaceutical-like packaging; and reducing allowable nicotine content.