Legalise Nicotine Vapes - Green's Plan Lauded

Cate Faehrmann, MP of the NSW Greens, Australia announced a plan to legalise nicotine vapes for people over the age of 18 in the state, placing the issue on the agenda for the NSW state elections on 25 March 2023.

As supporters of drug harm reduction, the Greens recognise that the current prescription-only model has failed and believe that support for tobacco harm reduction is the right choice for public health.

The NSW Greens’ plan will legalise the selling of nicotine vapes as adult consumer products by licensed retailers, which will provide smokers a substitute for smoking that is 95% less harmful. Age verification will minimise youth access.

This type of sensible regulation will help dismantle the black market for vapes and allow regulation of vaping products. It will also help reduce social and financial inequalities due to smoking and allow the introduction of a recycling programme for vapes (illegal vapes end up in landfills where they create toxic waste and environmental damage).