I’ve been witness to the unintended consequences of Australia’s harsh vaping regulations. For the past month, I’ve been staying at my house here, away from Melbourne, and what I’ve observed has been both shocking and disheartening.

To my surprise, a new tobacco shop had opened up in our quiet little town, taking over a space that was previously a florist. It seemed out of place but harmless enough. However, within a week of opening, the store was ram-raided. The owners, clearly determined, installed bollards to prevent future attacks.

But that was not the end of their troubles. About three weeks ago, the store was ram-raided again, and this time, it was firebombed, completely destroying the shop and damaging neighbouring stores. This shop is just two streets away from my house. On the same night, another store in the small town of Ararat was also firebombed.

Last week, two men from Melbourne were arrested in connection with these crimes.

These events have brought the failures of Australia’s current approach to vaping into sharp relief for me. By heavily restricting access to safer alternatives like vaping, the government is inadvertently fueling a dangerous black market. Desperate smokers, looking for safer options, are left with few legal choices and turn to illicit sources. This not only endangers their health but also breeds crime and violence in our communities, as seen with the devastating attacks on these tobacco shops.

The restrictive policies that are meant to protect public health are, in reality, pushing people back to more harmful smoking habits and creating a fertile ground for criminal activity. Vaping, which has been proven to be a significantly less harmful alternative to smoking, is being unfairly targeted and restricted, despite the mounting evidence supporting its benefits.

Australia needs to rethink its approach to vaping. Instead of punitive measures that push people towards dangerous black markets, we should be focusing on harm reduction and providing smokers with accessible, safer alternatives. This would not only improve public health outcomes but also reduce the crime and violence associated with the illegal tobacco trade.

Seeing the aftermath of these attacks firsthand, I am more convinced than ever that our current policies are failing. It’s time for Australia to follow the lead of countries that have embraced harm reduction and have seen significant improvements in public health as a result.

[The member whose experiences and observations are shared in this blog post has chosen to remain anonymous. All personal anecdotes and details have been included with their permission. The views expressed in this post are personal and reflective of the individual’s experiences and opinions.]