States start proposing stricter laws vs smoking, vaping

Tuesday will see the introduction of new laws, which will include expanded smoke-free locations and stricter enforcement of illegal cigarette sales.

Moreover, the proposed rules will provide a licencing system and stricter regulations on the selling of cigarettes in licenced establishments.

Although the adult smoking rate has more than halved over the past 20 years, smoking is still one of the major causes of death, according to Cancer Council Queensland CEO Andrew Donne.

“Smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death and disease, with one in five cancers attributable to tobacco use,” he said.

Public Health Association of Australia chief executive Terry Slevin said many in the community thought “tobacco control is done”.

“It is not, and there is still more to do,” he said.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has vowed to expose the truth about e-cigarettes through the process of a parliamentary inquiry.

“This a big issue out there, everyone is talking about it,” she told Today on Monday morning.

“Young kids are vaping in primary schools, high schools and of course adults and a lot of people think what they’re vaping is safe,” she said.

Studies have found vapes contain a cocktail of toxic chemicals, including nicotine – the highly addictive substance also contained in cigarettes.

The Premier sais she had heard reports that one vape could contain the equivalent of 50 cigarettes.

“We want the facts on the table,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“I want the health professionals to come forward and the companies to disclose what is actually in their products.”

Ms Palaszczuk said the government planned to make changes to the way vapes were sold to make it easier to for police to enforce the law.

“I think parents need to sit down and have an honest conversation with their children about this and I hope this parliamentary inquiry will allow them to be able to have those discussions when the truth comes out,” she said.

The laws will be introduced to parliament on Tuesday.