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[global times special correspondent chen xin] according to a report by the sydney morning herald on the 21st, since the sale of e-cigarettes outside pharmacies was banned across australia, the sale of illegal e-cigarettes has been rampant. australian health minister butler said that more stringent measures will be taken to crack down on the sale of illegal e-cigarettes.

the australian department of health stipulates that from july 1, 2024, all e-cigarettes (whether containing nicotine or not) can only be sold through pharmacies. any retail store, including tobacco shops, e-cigarette shops and convenience stores, will be illegal if it sells e-cigarettes or e-cigarette products. before september 30, 2024, everyone must have a prescription issued by a doctor or practicing nurse to purchase e-cigarettes containing nicotine.

however, the implementation of relevant policies is not optimistic. it is reported that e-cigarettes are still sold in some retail stores in sydney. some merchants remove the word "e-cigarettes" from the store billboards, but when customers ask to buy, they will take out e-cigarettes from under the counter or other hidden places and sell them to customers. some retailers said that the price of e-cigarettes is now three times that of 2023. in addition, most stores selling illegal e-cigarettes do not require customers to provide proof of age when purchasing.

huge profits are the main reason why illegal e-cigarettes in australia are rampant. according to reports, since butler introduced stricter border control policies in january 2024, the australian therapeutic goods administration and the australian border force have seized 5.2 million e-cigarettes so far, with an average black market value of about 30 australian dollars (1 australian dollar is about 4.8 yuan), while the cost of e-cigarettes in factories may be only 3 australian dollars. a spokesman for the australian border force said that those who make huge profits from illegal e-cigarettes include organized crime groups involved in the illegal tobacco trade.

butler has spared no effort to combat illegal e-cigarette sales and ensure the effective implementation of the e-cigarette ban. according to reports, the australian department of health stipulates that illegal retailers will be fined up to a$2.2 million and imprisoned for 7 years. butler warned that e-cigarettes are a "vicious trick used by tobacco giants to get a new generation addicted to nicotine." he also said that the government has cracked down on e-cigarette advertising. since july 1, the government has issued 118 warnings to advertisers promoting e-cigarette products.

regarding the e-cigarette ban, steve robson, president of the australian medical association, said that although "individual retailers" have flouted the law, the effect of the e-cigarette ban is moving in the right direction. survey data from the australian retailers association and market research company roy morgan showed that in july, 7.1% of australian adults (1.5 million people) used e-cigarettes, about 300,000 fewer than the same period last year. however, david bright, a criminologist at deakin university in australia, said that restrictions on e-cigarettes may also prompt consumers to turn to cigarettes and other tobacco products.