A 2022 review from the Australian National University‘s Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health (commissioned by the Morrison Government) found use of illicit ‘black market’ vapes and imported ‘disposable vape pens’ manufactured in unregulated facilities, most notably those items being sold under the counter and online by many convenience stores, tobacconist outlets, petrol stations and illicit vape store proprieters right at this very moment “increased the risk of multiple adverse health outcomes including poisoning, seizures, burns and lung injury”. Frustrated law enforcement officers, legitimate retailers and e-cig industry stakeholders all say that the illicit trade of ‘disposable vape pens‘ continued to expand amid “bureaucratic buck-passing” between incompetent managers of state and federal government departments.
Bureaucrats and authoritarian figures across Australia need to understand these INHERENT FACTS:
- Legitimate vape store vendors across the entire country DO NOT sell e-cig products which can cause acute lung injury (Why? Because they EDUCATE the customer at time of sale about correct and safe use of the e-cig device being purchased);
- Ingredients lists for every e-liquid stocked by legitimate vape stores MUST be registered with federal and state authorities to prove they do not contain improper amounts of “harmful chemicals” or any amount of liquid nicotine;
- Properly manufactured ‘vape juices’ contain the EXACT SAME INGREDIENTS found in common household food items;
- Vaping nicotine is not (and I stress this) NOT “a pathway to tobacco smoking”, simply because anyone consuming sweet tasting $20 products which their peers approve of is not going to swap those products for ones that their friends are turned off by, that taste like dogshit and cost $50 each;
- We The Vaping Community know without any hint of doubt or prejudice that the federal government is highly reluctant (to the point of combative) to make changes to this country’s archaic and Draconian laws which prevent the sale of liquid nicotine to adults, wholly due to their childish fear of losing billions of dollars in tobacco excise revenue, and
- (you can take this one as Gospel) Former Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt MP’s ‘prescription model’ and the current Federal Government’s lackadaisical approach to the alleged “youth vaping epidemic” are 100% the ROOT CAUSE of the current ‘black market’ for illicit e-cig products.
“Do You Know What You’re Vaping?”
Propylene glycol (‘PG’) is an active ingredient in over 90% of toothpastes sold in supermarkets and retail stores across the globe today. Vegetable glycerin (‘VG’) is an active ingredient in 75% of all confectionery, whilst also present in other food products such as processed cheese slices, carbonated soft drinks and most packaged sliced bread. If government ministers, public health officials and dumb journalists are going to keep on scaring the public about vaping while every e-liquid sold in an Australian vape shop contains the very same PG, VG and natural flavourings derived from fruit and plant leaves, they should also tell people not to brush their teeth with toothpaste because it contains (as they so eloquently put it) “the same ingredients found in nail polish remover”. Next, Kraft ‘Singles’ sliced cheese should be taken from supermarket dairy shelves, TipTop ‘Wonder White’ bread removed from retailers everywhere while soft drinks such as ‘Fanta’ and ‘Mountain Dew’ must also be banned.
With consideration to the current misinformation and fear campaigns against all forms of vaping being run by state health authorities of late, a large majority of the 700,000+ legitimate vapers across the country today are fed up with how we are being ostracised and effectively treated like criminals, simply because we want a healthier and more cost effective solution to managing our dependence on what is a LEGAL DRUG!
Here’s what I believe Mark Butler MP (Federal Health Minister), imbeciles-in-overpaid jobs like Dr. Sandro Demaio (CEO of VicHealth), Amber-Jade Sanderson (WA Health Minister) and other state or territory health ministers need to do with the utmost of urgency:
- IMMEDIATELY make liquid nicotine legal by forcing the Therapeutic Goods Administration to categorise liquid nicotine and ‘nic-salts’ as therapeutic medicinal products;
- Allow adults to purchase liquid nicotine and restrict sales to only registered vape stores or pharmacies, namely places where tobacco smokers can freely visit in person to be properly educated about what vaping actually is and how to vape safely;
- Immediately cease the sale of Nicorette / Nicabate sprays, lozenges, patches and gums from supermarkets and make them only available to adults from either chemist outlets or the tobacco counter where tobacco products are sold from today;
- Create Australian Standards for both the chemical composition of e-liquids and all associated e-cig products to ensure not only product quality but also that those liquids do not contain anything except reliably sourced food grade propylene glycol and vegetable glycerine, food grade flavourings and pharmacy grade liquid nicotine distilled from tobacco plants grown right here in Australia;
- Educate the community with Public Service Announcements that explain how parents need to be more vigilant, then change the whole “Do You Know What You’re Vaping?” campaign to, “Where Did You Get That Vape?” and describe why vapes that don’t meet Australian Standards are dangerous;
- Create a ‘Hotline’ that parents can call to identify (‘name and shame’) the criminals who are selling imported disposables and ‘pod’ vapes to children via social media sites such as TikTok, Facebook, WhatsApp, WeChat etc. then act immediately on those submissions, and
- Get more inspectors on the streets and physically track down the scumbags who are avoiding their federal and state tax obligations by importing disposable vape pens and illegally selling them to kids both online and under the counter from petrol stations and convenience stores run primarily by Pakistani, Indian, Asian and Middle Eastern crime gangs.
Lastly, the wording of the current retail laws for tobacco products needs to be changed to read, “all products containing liquid nicotine or ‘nic-salts'”. Remember that it’s illegal for cigarettes and roll-your-own tobacco to be sold to minors, yet children as young as 12 can easily buy nicotine replacement therapy products such as patches, sprays, gums etc. simply by walking through a self-serve checkout at their local Coles or Woolworths supermarket. Minors will find it much more difficult to get any kind of tobacco product or ‘nicotine vape’ product once restrictions on where those items can be sold are put in place and strongly enforced by government regulatory authorities, namely the A.C.C.C. and State Police.
Pretty simple really!
With that, I’m demanding the bureaucrats and other misinformed improperly educated loudmouths – most of whom have NEVER SMOKED A CIGARETTE IN THEIR ENTIRE LIFE – get off their asses, come out and talk to the legitimate vape vendors, talk to the people who have used vaping to successfully quit cigarettes for good and…
DO SOMETHING POSITIVE FOR A CHANGE! 🤓
Rants by Terin Mah sout 