Victoria 'failing the whole nation' in enforcement of anti-vaping measures

Victoria's efforts to enforce anti-vaping measures are falling short, according to public health advocates and experts who argue the state is "failing the whole nation." While the Victorian government has introduced new laws to give police powers to close shops selling illegal tobacco for 90 days, these measures do not extend to illegal vaping products.

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There's a lot of red tape around the capacity of the Victorian tobacco licensing workforce to be able to effectively enforce what happens when illegal vaping products are found on a premises.

Quit Victoria, a partnership including Cancer Council Victoria and the Victorian government, believes the new laws should encompass illegal vapes. The organization's director, Rachael Anderson, stated that illicit vaping products are often sold alongside illegal tobacco and are widely available. She expressed concern over the "red tape" hindering the Victorian tobacco licensing workforce's ability to enforce regulations on vapes.

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The officers are saying we can't do anything about vapes and it's really disappointing because we told them when the legislation was being drafted: you absolutely have to include these new products.

Recent data highlights the scale of the problem: Australian Border Force has seized an estimated 19.4 million illegal vaping products, valued at over $1 billion, since federal vaping laws were reformed in January 2024. The Therapeutic Goods Administration has also removed 2.2 million unlawful products worth $110.5 million. Professor Michelle Jongenelis from the University of Melbourne criticized Victoria's laws, noting that officers are unable to act on vapes despite warnings during the legislation's drafting. She emphasized that simply informing people about health risks is insufficient without strong policy and regulation.

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Just telling people that a product is harmful doesn't work. It needs to be combined with policy and regulation and unfortunately in Victoria we are really failing the whole nation when it comes to our approach to how we're dealing with these products.