Vapes in Australia: Chinese companies wipe nicotine ingredient to get them into ... trends now
Chinese vape companies are sending e-cigarettes filled with nicotine into Australia by brazenly wiping the harmful substance from their ingredients list allowing their addictive devices to breeze through customs and into shops.
The federal government is set to reveal sweeping reforms to stop children vaping this week, but experts have admitted it might be too late for thousands who are already addicted.
Mark Brooke, CEO of Lung Foundation Australia, told Daily Mail Australia that many e-cigarettes that are labelled as nicotine-free 'actually do, in fact, contain nicotine'.
This means that thousands of young Aussies, who are attracted to the e-cigarettes by social media and 'fun' flavours, are unknowingly breathing in and becoming addicted to nicotine.
An insider told Daily Mail Australia: 'E-cigarettes can be easily bought online through websites or places like Facebook Marketplace where there is generally very little regulation. We also know that brick and mortar stores aren’t checking IDs as they should be either.
'The different fun and fruity flavours are very clearly targeted towards kids, and social media advertising is targeting this demographic.'
Mark Brooke, CEO of Lung Foundation Australia, told Daily Mail Australia that many e-cigarettes that are labelled as nicotine-free 'actually do, in fact, contain nicotine'
Discussing the dangers of nicotine for children, Mr Brooke added: 'As well as being highly addictive, nicotine can harm the still-developing adolescent brain, particularly in areas that control attention, learning, mood, and behavioural control.
'There is also evidence to indicate that vaping can lead to several adverse health impacts including cancers and increases in heart and lung disease.
'It’s illegal for children to buy e-cigarettes, and for anyone to buy nicotine containing e-cigarettes without a prescription, but we know that the industry is largely unregulated, and children are easily accessing these products.
'E-cigarettes are often mislabelled and can contain over 200 chemicals including formaldehyde that can cause irreversible lung damage and propylene glycol, which is toxic to human cells.'
In Australia, it is illegal to sell, supply or possess an e-cigarette that contains nicotine without a doctor's prescription.
However this hasn't stopped some suppliers, who are just removing nicotine from the ingredients list, even if it is present in their vapes.
There are fears that thousands of Aussie children are unwittingly consuming nicotine, as well as other dangerous ingredients including acetone and pulegone.
Federal Health Minister Mark Butler revealed vaping had doubled in the country between 2016 and 2019 and, in New South Wales, almost a third of 16-24 year-olds had tried vaping last year.
Thousands of young Aussies, who are attracted to the e-cigarettes by social media and 'fun' flavours, are unknowingly breathing in and becoming addicted to nicotine
An insider told Daily Mail Australia: 'E-cigarettes can be easily bought online through websites or places like Facebook marketplace where there is generally very little regulation'
Meanwhile, vaping in the state of Victoria has doubled in frequency in four years, according to a Victorian Smoking & Health Survey.
In an alarming trend, the data also showed there had been a sharp 'five-fold' rise in women aged 18 to 24 using the e-cigarettes
