Strict new vaping rules for Australia: Fruity flavour fans face a devastating blow – here’s what you need to know

The government has started secret talks about introducing a strict, near-total ban on vaping in Australia, but has kept the new proposals hidden from the public.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration – which oversees the approval of prescription drugs and drugs for the government – ​​revealed the secret plans in an official consultation document.

It outlines four proposals, including a widespread ban on all single-use vapes, fruit-flavored vapes, the personal importation of vaping products and all vaping advertisements.

Only prescription nicotine therapeutic vapes, available from pharmacies, would be allowed under the reforms – and these will only have tobacco or a mild mint flavor.

Prescription vape liquid will also be banned under the proposed legislation from using ingredients outside a limited list of medically approved chemicals.

All travelers to Australia must bring a prescription like the Smokefree clinic nicotine prescription for their vape or a letter from their doctor, and there must be a restriction on the amount of vape they can bring into the country.

But the consultation document and feedback form are hidden from public view and are not included in TGA’s list of other past and present consultation documents on its website.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration – which oversees the approval of prescription drugs and medications – revealed the secret plans in an official consultation document (pictured)

It also does not appear in the website’s search function and can only be accessed by people with a direct link to the web page and survey who want to provide feedback on the plans.

The debate on the ban has also been limited to just two weeks, with the consultation period starting on September 7 and ending on September 21.

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By comparison, a previous TGA consultation paper on regulating the vaping industry ran from November last year to January this year.

The proposed ban is still in the policy-making process and has yet to be finalized by the government or the TGA.

The Department of Health admitted the consultation was underway but defended that it was hidden from the public because it was aimed at “specific stakeholders”.

A spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia: ‘The vaping reform consultation currently being undertaken by the TGA is a targeted consultation aimed at specific stakeholders with particular expertise to obtain specific information to support the design of elements of the reform package .

‘It stems from the extensive public consultation on vaping reform carried out by the TGA between November 2022 and January 2023.’

The consultation process comes as Health Secretary Mark Butler revealed details of the government’s latest crackdown on vaping, which has less stringent restrictions than those proposed by the TGA.

“The fight against Big Tobacco is not over,” he told Seven’s Sunrise on Wednesday.

“Vapes are the new challenge to prevent a new generation of nicotine addicts from being recruited into this industry.”

The changes announced by Mr Butler do not go as far as those proposed in the secret TGA consultation document.

But under the latest stringent measures, vape and tobacco products will feature updated graphic warnings and leaflets for health promotion, while pack sizes and filter designs will be standardised.

The legislation will also target vapes by limiting the use of attractive names that downplay a product’s potential harm and including vape products in advertising restrictions.

It will also seek to improve transparency about product content, advertising activities and sales volumes.

The move comes after the Labor government announced a ban on the import of non-prescription, single-use vaping products in May.

“Big Tobacco has adapted and innovated and been quite cunning in the ways in which they circumvent the intent of plain packaging,” Mr Butler said.

Health Minister Mark Butler (pictured) on Wednesday revealed details of the latest crackdown on vaping, which has less stringent restrictions than those proposed by the TGA

Latest stringent measures will see vape and tobacco products come with updated graphic warnings and health promotion leaflets, with package size and filter design standardized

‘They are making their deadly product attractive to younger Australians in particular, where the number of smokers is actually rising.’

‘Twelve years ago we led the world with plain packaging reforms, which the tobacco industry fought hard against, but frankly we are now lagging behind.

“We are committed to solving that.”

Tobacco use kills about 50 Australians every day, or about 20,000 per year.

The health minister’s bill is part of the federal government’s plan to reduce the national smoking rate to less than 10 percent by 2025, five percent or less by 2030 and 27 percent or less for Indigenous communities.