Recently, Australia introduced a new law that restricts the sale of all types of vapes exclusively to pharmacies, as part of an effort to eliminate
recreational vaping nationwide.
Controversially, pharmacies will soon be permitted to sell nicotine vapes without requiring a prescription under this law.
Although this initiative aims to improve national health, it has angered pharmacists, who fear it will ultimately turn their premises into modern-day tobacconists.
"This is just going to create more hassle for me," a senior pharmacist told The Times.
In response to mounting concerns about a new generation becoming addicted to nicotine, the Labor government last Monday implemented a ban on the sale of all vapes,
whether they contain nicotine or not, outside of pharmacies.
Australia has become the first country in the world to enact such a measure.
The UK government has decided to ban disposable vapes to tackle the rise in youth vaping and protect children's health, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak
announced on Sunday (28 January 2024) during a visit to a school.
Official figures revealed that the number of children using vapes has tripled in the past three years, with nine per cent of 11 - to 15-year-olds now affected
by this rising trend.
Disposable vapes are believed to be mainly driving the worrisome rise in youth vaping, with the number of 11- to 17-year-old vapers using disposables estimated
to have increased by almost ninefold in the last two years.
Sunak said: "As any parent or teacher knows, one of the most worrying trends at the moment is the rise in vaping among children, and so we must act before it
becomes endemic.
"The long-term impacts of vaping are unknown and the nicotine within them can be highly addictive, so while vaping can be a useful tool to help smokers quit,
marketing vapes to children is not acceptable."
The World Health Organization (WHO) reiterated its concerns about tobacco companies' continued targeting of young people through various channels such as
social media, sports, and music festivals, as well as the introduction of flavored products.
In a joint report with industry watchdog STOP released on Thursday, the WHO accused these companies of attempting to ensnare a new generation in nicotine addiction.
While facing stricter regulations on traditional cigarettes, major tobacco firms and newcomers have turned to alternatives like vapes, arguing they are intended for
adult smokers.
However, the WHO and STOP highlighted in their report that these products often appeal to youth, with their attractive designs and fruity flavors making them more
appealing to children than to adults in many countries.
In response to the concerning surge in youth vaping, the UK government in January announced its decision to ban disposable vapes as a measure to safeguard
the health of children.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stated that while the long-term impacts of vaping were uncertain, the nicotine present in these products can be highly addictive.
Therefore, he emphasised that "marketing vapes to children is not acceptable."
Now, there's a stronger reason to crack down on vape sales as a new study has revealed that vaping or the use of e-cigarettes may increase the risk of developing
heart failure.
The study, which involved 175,000 adults in the United States, found that those who use e-cigarettes were 19 per cent more likely to develop heart failure over a
four-year period.
Dr Yakubu Bene-Alhasan, lead author of the study, from MedStar Health in Baltimore, underscored that an increasing number of studies are linking e-cigarettes with
harmful effects, suggesting vaping "might not be as safe as previously thought."
With further research, Dr Bene-Alhasan's team plans to uncover "a lot more about the potential health consequences and improve the information out to the public."