Australia targets Big Tobacco in crackdown on vaping

But an emerging body of research has shown vapes can also be highly addictive, and often result in young users eventually turning to cigarettes as a way to get their nicotine fix.

I can't see this happening because, as they say in the article:

Heavy taxes on tobacco sales mean Australia has some of the most expensive cigarettes in the world -- with a pack of 25 selling for around A$50 (U.S.$33).

Young people can't afford to pay $2 a cigarette!

Young people can't afford to pay $2 a cigarette!

That's right. It's cheaper to smoke weed.

Big tobacco is among the worst of the big industries. On an Australia and the evils of big tobacco aside, see Russell Crowe in the movie "The Insider". And stop wasting precious arable land growing tobacco.

The big tobacco companies need to face business ending fines and be forced to pay costs on getting all those children addicted to their nicotine products clean. They are "scum of the earth" in targeting children with harmful addictive devices. Less harmful than cigarettes but still harmful.

Getting them young means more damage to them over a lifetime of addiction and huge profits for the companies for decades for each addicted person. It is criminal and laws should reflect that with harsh punishments including prison sentences for CEO's and owners of these companies. Predatory behavior towards children is way beyond acceptable.

Ban tobacco and vaping and legalise weed.

Vaping is also a MASSIVE problem in the UK...especially in schools with teenagers and younger !!...Also "Laughing gas' is a big problem. A few people have mentioned 'Weed'....but guess what ....thats an even bigger problem !

Why would weed be a bigger problem? Laughing gas is now banned in the UK, I think.

Cigarettes are insanely cheap in Japan.

@badmoon it’s not that bad, I can think of worse places in the world to live.

At least the government is addressing this health issue, too many kids are taking up the habit.

ever since a few years before covid, Australia is becoming more and more of a rules-driven police state.

I dont think so at all.

Glad I don’t have to live there,

I wouldn't want to live anywhere else.

Total bs from the Aus government (as usual). It is all a ploy to get the young on cigarettes as it was in My day. (Me and My highschool mates all started around 13yo.)

Vaping is the preventative of that, but it will cost the "government" Billions they would have earned from taxes. Same old story wrapped in blatant lies. Australians are not stupid.

Total bs from the Aus government (as usual). It is all a ploy to get the young on cigarettes as it was in My day. (Me and My highschool mates all started around 13yo.)

A total misrepresentation of the facts. The idea is to get them off ALL nicotine products and not start in the first place. From Sept 1 this year tax on tobacco products will be increased by 5% and it will go up 5% each year for the next three years.

Vaping is the preventative of that, but it will cost the "government" Billions they would have earned from taxes. Same old story wrapped in blatant lies. Australians are not stupid.

Vaping is the first step towards smoking for they young, and it is bad for you. Vaping was introduced as a way to help people stop smoking but it works as a gateway for those who dont smoke but start with vaping. The government getting canned for trying to do the right thing for the young. Typical of some who lambast Governments no matter what they do.

Except the guy in the photo doesn't seem to be vaping. And if smoking is such as problem, just ban it outright and stop indirectly taxing the poor who tend to smoke in far larger numbers. Or is the idea to keep them in perpetual poverty and to encourage many to turn to crime to support their addiction?

If they ban vaping after allowing an entire generation to get hooked, and cigarettes are too expensive, I would expect alcohol and weed use by Aussie youngsters to absolutely rocket in the next couple of years.