‘More available and in more flavours than before’: The great vape resurgence

Vapes are cheaper and being sold in record numbers in Victoria — despite the government ban — as China floods the market.

Vapes are being sold in record numbers in Australia despite being illegal. Picture: iStock

• Mapped: Every illicit smoke shop in Melbourne

Vapes are being sold in record numbers, with more flavours available than ever and the cost as cheap as before the Federal Government banned them.

And every single one now exclusively comes from China, a Herald Sun investigation has found.

Border Force seized 6.3 million vapes last year – but many millions more made it onto the streets.

The Chinese government also owns Double Happiness, the second leading brand of tobacco consumed in Australia – which is illegal here.

It is deeply embarrassing for the Anthony Albanese Labor government, who in June last year signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Chinese government stating they would expand border enforcement “to combat illicit tobacco and vape smuggling” between the countries.

Vapes are more popular than ever in Melbourne, despite a ban on the product. Picture: Diego Fedele

Rohan Pike, who led Border Force’s first illicit tobacco strike team, said the Chinese government was doing nothing to stop the brand being smuggled into Australia.

“There is no evidence that China is attempting to restrict the Double Happiness brand cigarettes being smuggled into Australia,” he said.

“This is now our second largest brand.

“While in the Border Force 10 years ago, I alerted the Chinese Commissioner of Customs to widespread smuggling of Double Happiness and yet this Chinese-government owned brand is still supporting crime in numerous countries. What is our government doing to stop it?”

He added: “In the recent by-elections (Prahran and Werribee) there was lots of talk about crime and that included tobacco crime and that message must have been heard in Canberra.

The illegal products are available in even more flavours than before. Picture: Liam Kidston

“While we’ve started to see the federal government belatedly turn their attention to illicit tobacco, the response has been painfully slow with no discernible change in the marketplace. “Until the Health Minister admits the primary driver of the crime is the exorbitant excise rate, then that driver will remain and the problem won’t be fixed. It’s as simple as that.”

Shenzhen, the third most populous city in China on the southeast coast, is the vape manufacturing capital of the world.

Mr Pike, who had a career spanning 25 years in commonwealth law enforcement, confirmed vapes were now “more available and in more flavours” than ever before and the price had returned to what they were before the government crackdown.

“My local illegal trader is now advertising vape flavours and prices in the front window of his shop and my barber tells me he is buying packets of Manchester for $7 from a shop that was raided but reopened 48 hours later.

Shops are blatantly advertising vape flavours and prices in their windows. Picture: David Crosling

“We are miles away from adopting an enforcement regime that deters criminals from entering this lucrative business.”

Tobacco excise generated just $9.7bn last financial year, a drop of 40 per cent from a record $16.3bn in 2019-20.

This financial year, the government says it only expects to collect $8.8bn.

The federal government consistently states less people are smoking, ignoring the blooming illicit tobacco market where a packet of cigarettes cost $15 compared to $55 legal ones.

An industry expert said laws were failing.

“The Australian government is in denial,” they said.

“An Illicit Tobacco and E-Cigarette Commissioner was installed over eight months ago with much fanfare. Apart from hosting a symposium, the only material impact has been even more illicit products in the local market since they were appointed.”

He added: “Our tobacco and nicotine controls aren’t world leading, they are simply failing. The rest of the world knows it, criminals especially. They are taking full advantage and exploiting this chaos.”

Originally published as ‘More available and in more flavours than before’: The great vape resurgence