05/05/2023
"Australia versus e-ci******es: ban them again!
It's difficult to keep up with all of Australia's bans on e-ci******es. Readers might correct me in the comments, but if my memory is correct, v**es containing ni****ne have always been banned from sale.
Smokers still stubbornly sought them out to help them quit smoking, so naturally the government banned the importation of v**es that contain ni****ne. They could only be obtained with a prescription from a doctor, but since doctors are so ignorant about va**ng that one of them gave his child ci******es to get him off v**es, not many prescriptions were written.
Not unpredictably, prohibition created a big black market and didn't work. Hilariously, more teenagers have tried va**ng in Australia, where e-ci******es have always been banned and the media is in a constant state of hysteria about them, than they have in Britain where they are advertised, given away by the government to smokers for free and legal (though not for children).
Today, the government doubled down once more, banning (non-ni****ne) disposable v**es completely and introducing plain packaging for e-ci******es that are permitted with a prescription. There will also be a ban on flavours and colours of the medically approved products.
The Public Health Association of Australia’s CEO, Terry Slevin, described va**ng as a “public health disaster”. He said the reforms would see Australia re-establish itself as a world leader in to***co and va**ng control.
Australia is not a leader in to***co or va**ng control. It is an international laughing stock that has created a massive unforced error and is too proud - or too stupid - to back down.
“The ubiquitous and aggressive marketing of va**ng products, particularly to children, is a worldwide scourge,” he said.
Va**ng products are not marketed in Australia, aggressively or otherwise, and they never have been. The government can't control the black market, but it can control the media. This guy is in a world of his own.
The government is now going to spend $234 million to fund its "to***co and va**ng reforms", including $63 million on "an evidence-based public health information campaign" (stop laughing at the back). The health minister Mark Butler sounds like a particularly d***y individual. In a speech today, he said:
"Just like they did with smoking, Big To***co has taken another addictive product, wrapped it in shiny packaging and added flavours to create a new generation of ni****ne addicts."
My sympathy goes out to my Australian friends, but there really is no hope for you when your politicians live in a parallel universe, cosplaying the 1950s. Needless to say, 'Big To***co' is not selling illegal v**es in Australia.
Oh, and he's also going to increase the tax on ci******es by 5% every year for the next three years just in case the black market for to***co needs a helping hand. After all, the Australian Border Force only detected 879 tons of loose-leaf to***co and 713 million ci******es in 2021, and their biggest seizure last month was worth a mere $48 million.
Way to guy, fellas! This is totally normal"
Credit to Christopher Snowdon for writing this article.
