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The Albanian government will collaborate with teenage influencers on an anti-vaping campaign in a bid to prevent young people from using illegal devices.
Federal Health Minister Mark Butler announced the initiative while standing among stacks of vapes that had been intercepted at the Australian border.
Butler said 360,000 vapes worth almost $11 million had been seized since the national ban on single-use disposable vapes was introduced on January 1.
The Health Minister was joined by junior professional surfers Zahlia and Shyla Short from Wollongong, south of Sydney, at Wednesday’s press conference.
The sisters have been tasked with fighting the “enormous amount” of misinformation about vaping by sharing the associated risks on their social media platforms.
“It is quite clear that teenagers do not watch television or listen to Health Ministers, as much as I would like them to,” Mr Butler told the press conference.
‘That’s why we’ve partnered with influencers that young people listen to. From comedians to sports stars and players, and everyone in between.’
Mark Butler was joined by junior professional surfers Zahlia (centre) and Shyla Short from Wollongong on the New South Wales coast at a press conference on Wednesday.
The Short sisters (pictured) will be participating in the Youth Vaping Education Program this year.
The influencers hand-picked for the Youth Vaping Education Program are popular with young Australians aged 14-20 across a wide range of online platforms.
Gamers Jack Buzza and HeyImZed, TikToker Ella Watkins and comedy duo Lachlan and Jaxon Fairbairn are tasked with pushing the government’s anti-vaping agenda.
“We know that many of our peers vape, so it’s important to us that we support a campaign that educates people about the harms of vaping and helps them seek support if they wish,” Lachlan said of her role in the initiative.
Several athletes are also taking part, including sportswoman and cricket legend Ellyse Perry and Australian Olympic jumper Sam Fricker.
Businesswoman and sustainability advocate Lottie Dalziel will also participate.
The government’s new campaign is part of a major crackdown on the import and sale of single-use disposable vape pens across Australia.
Comedy duo Lachlan and Jaxon Fairbairn to take part in government anti-vaping initiative
The government has partnered with a number of influencers popular with 14- to 20-year-olds.
Zahlia Short said she witnessed her friends being tempted to vape regularly.
Butler on Wednesday announced the next stage in Australia’s “world-leading” vaping reforms, which come into effect on March 1, 2024.
The importation of all vaporizers without a license or permit will be banned and personal importation schemes for vaporizers will be closed.
The government will also work to strengthen quality and safety standards for therapeutic vaporizers, which are now only available with a prescription.
“There is a tremendous amount of misinformation and advertising online designed to entice teens to vape,” Butler said at the conference.
“Along with the Albanese government’s world-leading vaping reforms, education is a key step in stopping big tobacco companies from luring a new generation into nicotine dependence.”
Butler on Wednesday announced the next stage in Australia’s “world-leading” vaping reforms, which come into effect on March 1, 2024.
The sale of nicotine vaporizers has been illegal since 2021 under laws introduced by the previous Morrison government, but many retailers have continued to blatantly sell them illegally, with some falsely labeling them as nicotine-free.
In a bid to close loopholes in previous legislation and crack down on the provision of vaporizers in convenience stores, Butler introduced a nationwide ban on the importation of disposable vaporizers on January 1.
Coinciding with changes to import rules, a new access scheme has been created that will allow doctors and nurses to prescribe therapeutic vaporizers to stop smoking or manage nicotine dependence.
“Once the legislation is passed by Parliament later this year, the only legal way to buy vaporizers will be therapeutically through a pharmacy,” Butler said in January.