Nationals propose easing of vaping rules for adults, arguing it is a 'common sense approach'

The Nationals want to ease rules around nicotine vapes in Australia, to provide access to them as a tool to help adults quit smoking, while tightening rules around young people accessing the highly addictive products.

The party has adopted a formal position at odds with the current health approach in Australia, which only allows access to nicotine vapes with a prescription.

Under the changes proposed by the Nationals, the prescription-only model would be abandoned in favour of a regulated system where nicotine vapes can be purchased much like cigarettes.

Retailers would require a license to sell the products, with significant penalties for those selling them to minors.

Some flavours would be banned, and health warnings would be added to labels.

The approach bears similarities to that taken in New Zealand, where nicotine vapes are far more widely available legally than in Australia.

Nationals leader David Littleproud said the current rules are clearly failing to prevent young people becoming addicted to vaping.

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"We've got to be honest, we've given it a go and with genuine intent of trying to solve this problem, it hasn't worked," he said.

"And so what we want to do is be constructive, but be agile enough to understand we need better regulation."

Companies like British American Tobacco, which is a major producer of e-cigarettes, have similarly pushed to regulate nicotine vapes like cigarettes, arguing that is the best way to tackle the black market.

Significant shift from current approach

The changes the Nationals are proposing would mark a firm change in direction from Australia's current approach to vaping.

The federal government has sought to tightly regulate nicotine vapes, making them available only through a prescription issued solely for the purpose of quitting smoking.

But despite those rules, vapes containing nicotine are widely available illegally, and widely used by people under 18 years of age.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration has been working on possible changes to laws around vapes, with an eye to tightening rules on imports.

Health Minister Mark Butler has indicated he intends to "come down hard" on the vaping industry, including a stronger presence on the borders and greater police action.

And health groups like the Cancer Council have urged the government to toughen up existing laws and strengthen enforcement, including banning the sale of non-nicotine vapes (which have often been found to contain nicotine).

Mr Littleproud said the best way to prevent young people vaping is create simpler rules, that are more easily enforced.

"We all come to this with genuine intent but you've also got to come to this with practical reality," he said.

"And if you want to police this, the best way to police this is to simplify the regulations to align it with other regulations like cigarettes, around point of sale, around packaging, flavours, and making sure that it's only people over 18 that can can acquire these things."

Under the Nationals' proposal, any revenue generated through taxes on vapes would be directed towards regional healthcare.