How kids are exploiting the 'vaping black market’

More than 1000 Australian stores illegally sell vapes to young people, as a peak retailing body calls for tighter regulation around the 'smoking alternative'.

More than 1000 Australian stores illegally sell vapes to young people, as a peak retailing body calls for tighter regulation around the smoking alternative.

Australia's peak convenience store body is calling for a government crackdown on the vape "black market", saying tighter regulation and national laws are imperative to stopping young people from using them.

Vaping popularity has grown by 259% over the last five years, with 5.8% of the adult population regularly vaping. Some 88% of vapers are buying nicotine vapes without a prescription, despite new regulations brought in by the Morrison government from October 1 requiring a prescription for purchase.

Theo Foukkare, CEO of the Australian Association of Convenience Stores, told The Oz the easy accessibility of vapes was feeding a “youth vaping crisis” and weakening the health of adults. He believes there are at least 1000 retailers around the country illegally selling to children.

“We have a black market with no morals or ethics who are selling to adults and children and its profiting criminals,” he said. “What we’re advocating for is a regulated, controlled model with manufacturing standards and genuine retailers to sell vapes only to consenting adults.

"For an adult who chooses to vape as a smoking cessation tool, we believe they should have access through a controlled environment.

"But not children or young people."

Foukkare is calling for a National Vaping Summit, to bring together the government and health professionals to facilitate national discussion on vaping laws.

Students at a Melbourne school were this week banned from using bathrooms over vaping concerns. Koo Wee Rup Secondary College in the city’s southeast will now require students to swipe a staff’s access card to enter the bathrooms, after complaints of vaping and other anti-social behaviour at recess and lunchtime, according to the Herald Sun. 

Foukkare said it was unsurprising that vaping was so prevalent in school students, as vapes are readily available to them through social media. 

“Youth have access to companies online through Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat who will sell them vapes without a prescription or any ID,” he said. 

“A lot of kids are trying to profiteer through selling illegal products online, no different to the selling of any other drugs. They post stories, they do reels, and then they organise pick up points and widely promote it.” 

University of Western Australia law professor Marilyn Bromberg, who has recently been given a grant to research how legislation can be updated to stop young people from seeing vaping advertisements, said the number of children and teenagers who vape is increasing “astronomically”. 

“The vaping companies argue vapes stop young people from using cigarettes but that’s definitely not the case,” she said. 

“We are seeing a lot of young people vaping who have never smoked a cigarette before, and we are aware that even cigarettes without nicotine can be harmful for one’s health.” 

Marilyn said vaping advertisements on social media use “traditional tactics” similar to smoking advertising to get young vapers over the line. 

“They use sexuality, or coolness for example,” she said. “It’s been portrayed as something that’s cool, that’s a positive thing.”