The stance of Australia's government has for a long time been negative to an extreme degree. Any recreational products containing nicotine, aside from the highly deadly and toxic cigarette, have been banned but with a nifty loophole consumers have been able to work around. If an Australian citizen could get their hands on a nicotine prescription from their doctor, but said doctor must have the ability to get vape products imported in order for the prescribed nicotine patients to get their products. Plenty of people could get away with importing from China without any enforcement, but this could all change with Greg Hunt's new announcement.

Starting at the beginning of 2021, enforcement will be much more strict with an already limited amount (9 to be exact) of doctors currently prescribing nicotine to their patients. There is a lot of work and organization that goes into setting up importation and applying for their own permits. The likelihood of a doctor going through this entire process is slim, which makes it seem like there's not much consideration going into proposing this vaping ban.

In the days following Hunt's ban announcement for July 1st, people were in a frenzy bulk buying nicotine. Massive quantities of vape products were purchased from vendors outside of Australia. There were even reports of ice chests (best way to store vape juice) being sold out.

In good Australian fashion, the vape ban was delayed as fast as it was proposed. Greg Hunt made a decision in the last-minute setting back the date of the ban until 2021. Through sheer force of will, the vape community in Australia came together through petitions, lobbying, and put enough pressure on the Federal Health Minister to make him draw back his ban.

Now that vapers in Australia know their voices can be heard, now is the best time for the community to push their government towards a better more logical solution.

There are many good arguments to regulate vaping including lowering teen usage, avoiding nicotine poisoning etc. but all-out-prohibition is never the answer and history would agree.