The Coalition’s plan to raise $3.6bn by increasing tax on vapes and making them more widely available would lead to “serious short- and long-term harm” and is “exactly what big tobacco have been asking for”, according to public health experts.
The experts, who are calling on the Coalition to apologise for the policy, believe it is not based on “credible evidence” and that the savings cannot be achieved unless current regulation – supported by all states and territory governments – is completely dismantled.
A Dutton government would allow vapes to be legally sold in retail stores – rather than restricting them to pharmacies – and would increase the tax on the products to raise billions of dollars over four years. This would help the Coalition pay for policies such as a significant increase in defence spending.
The shadow treasurer, Angus Taylor, does not believe this change would further normalise vaping – which has been identified as a significant health concern among young Australians – and would instead regulate a market that is being exploited by criminals.
“Labor’s policies have failed, there is no doubt about that,” Taylor told the ABC on Friday. “The bans have not worked and they will not work. What they have done is encourage a tax on illegal vapes from criminal gangs.”
Taylor cited the widespread but illegal sale of vapes beyond pharmacies across Australia as an example of how the current regulatory system was failing.
When asked whether increasing taxes on vapes would provide an incentive for criminal groups to sell unregulated vapes at cheaper prices, Taylor said that was “absolute nonsense”.
The Australian Council on Smoking and Health, which represents 33 health and community organisations, said the policy was “exactly what big tobacco has been asking for”.
“It will recklessly flood the market, fuel youth addiction and undo years of public health progress,” said the group’s chief executive, Laura Hunter.
Becky Freeman, an associate professor at the University of Sydney’s school of public health, said Australia’s current approach to vapes and the restriction of their sale to pharmacies was “world leading”.
“Throwing out this legislation would be a blow to public health and would reward the very same companies and retailers who have flouted the vape laws,” Freeman said.
The Public Health Association of Australia claimed “the most disappointing aspect of such a policy proposal is that it would resume the marketing of vaping products to Australian children and young people”.
“That will fuel new waves of nicotine addiction, expose millions to serious short- and long-term harms and suffering, and add more pressure on our already overstretched health system.”
The association said the proposal had “no credible evidence behind it”.
“It would fly in the face of years of research and carefully constructed policy about the best way to protect the community, especially young people, from nicotine,” its statement said.
“The public health community calls on the Coalition parties to apologise for this policy shift, and for the way it has been presented so late, and without transparency.”
The Coalition did outline this policy in mid-2024, but the issue did not feature in the election campaign until late on Thursday, when the opposition revealed details on how it would afford several expensive policies, such as a significant increase in defence spending.
When the policy was first floated, the shadow health minister, Anne Ruston, described it as a “strict and sensible” measure that would “protect our community from organised crime”.
