E-cigarettes in Australasia

Australia: The Australian Heart Foundation has called for an import ban on e-cigarettes. In a submission to a public consultation by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), the foundation said that e-cigarettes, with or without nicotine, should be declared “prohibited imports”. It also said the TGA should ban all e-liquid flavours other than tobacco, reduce the nicotine concentration, and establish labelling and packaging requirements.

Australia: The Federal Council of the Australian Medical Association (AMA) has passed a motion demanding tighter regulation of nicotine-free vaping products. The AMA, the doctors’ professional body, wants rules similar to those on tobacco products, with health warnings and plain packaging. It says it will “continue to advocate...to stem the rapidly-growing uptake” of vaping products, which it claims are “clearly marketed towards children”.

New Zealand: The Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products (Smoked Tobacco) Amendment Bill, which will set a limit on the number of e-cigarette retailers and ban the sale of smokable tobacco products to anyone born after 1st January 2009, has received royal assent; most of its provisions will come into force on 1st January. Maori Party co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer said that, although her party supported the bill, they were confused as to why it had not also sought to ban vaping products.

New Zealand: Following a report that some retailers were misinterpreting the regulations, especially on maximum nicotine content, the Vaping Regulatory Authority has announced that 472 non-compliant products are being withdrawn from the market until they are compliant and have been re-notified. The authority is currently assessing another 1,083 products to ensure they comply with product safety requirements.

New Zealand: The Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products (Smoked Tobacco) Amendment Bill, which will set a limit on the number of e-cigarette retailers and ban the sale of smokable tobacco products to anyone born after 1st January 2009, was approved by Parliament at its third and final reading. The bill will now be signed by the governor-general before becoming law.

New Zealand: The Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products (Smoked Tobacco) Amendment Bill, which would set a limit on vaping retailers and ban the sale of smokable tobacco products to anyone born after 1st January 2009, was approved by Parliament at its second reading. Additional changes will now be considered by MPs before the bill’s third and final reading.