Anyone who treats their vape like a life partner might want to reconsider a trip across the ditch now that the Australian Government has confirmed it will ban all non-prescription vaping products.
The move is likely to leave vapers everywhere gasping for air (watermelon flavoured or otherwise) and is the most significant tobacco and vaping control measure Aussie has taken in a decade.
Australian Health Minister Mark Butler reckons the tobacco industry was using vaping to create a "new generation of nicotine addicts" and said on ABC's 'Q&A' that he was "determined to stamp out this public health menace".
While Aotearoa has not yet indicated whether it will look to follow in Australia's footsteps, importers and manufacturers are required to notify the Ministry of Health before they are able to sell any vaping product in the country.
Generic retailers such as petrol stations, supermarkets and dairies are also restricted to only selling vaping products in mint, tobacco and menthol flavours.
So what exactly does this mean for those addicted to cotton candy-flavoured air?
Well, minimum quality standards will be introduced for vapes including restricting flavours, colours and added ingredients.
The nicotine concentrations and volumes will be reduced, while vape products will also be repackaged to resemble some more 'pharmaceutical-like'.
And for all of you who keep saying you will quit, only to give in and grab a disposable vape, because 'it's just for the night'', all single-use disposable vapes will also be banned entirely.
Even though the new ruling has been largely backed by public health experts and medical bodies, not everyone believes this decision will have the impact it is intended to.
The decision comes after manufacturers had been found to be falsely labelling products containing nicotine as "nicotine-free" to get around import restrictions, resulting in children and young teens unknowingly inhaling nicotine, and likely becoming addicted.
With Australia's new ban on non-prescription vapes, only time will tell whether the vaping industry down under is really about to go up in smoke.
