During a recent six-week health crackdown in Western Australia (WA), authorities seized over 15,000 e-cigarettes, valued over $500,000.

As of October 2021, vapers in Australia are only able to purchase vaping products from pharmacies via prescription, and anyone caught violating these harsh regulations will face steep fines, and in some cases even imprisonment.

Together with other experts, Australian tobacco harm reduction expert Dr. Colin Mendelsohn had explained that the prescription model introduced in Australia does not work as it makes the products difficult to access, creating a higher demand and subsequent growth in the black market.

“The government’s set up this complex system which just isn’t working; to find a GP who will prescribe and then to find a pharmacy that will sell it – it’s just not a workable solution,” he said. “So people are going to the black market to buy unregulated products and the black market is thriving and selling these products to kids.”

In einem letter dated Wednesday July 20th, Aktivisten der E-Zigaretten-Bewegung aus aller Welt appellierten an das australische Gesundheitsministerium, die anhaltenden Angriffe auf die lokale E-Zigaretten-Branche einzustellen. Anlass war ein Schreiben des westaustralischen Gesundheitsministeriums an die Inhaber von E-Zigaretten-Shops in ganz Westaustralien, in dem diese aufgefordert wurden, ihren Betrieb innerhalb von 14 Tagen einzustellen.

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