Australia has implemented some of the world's strictest anti-vaping laws, limiting the sale of vapes exclusively to pharmacies since the beginning of July, with consumers required to present a doctor's prescription to buy vaping products.
From July 1, nicotine vapes in Australia are regulated as therapeutic goods, which means they are only available at pharmacies to help people quit smoking or manage nicotine dependence.
Until Sept. 30, everyone needs a prescription from a doctor or nurse practitioner to purchase therapeutic vapes from a pharmacy.
The government's decision, aimed at curbing the increasing use of vapes among young people, has garnered wide support from the public and health experts.
"Government needs to do more, absolutely," said a local in Sydney.
"We are protecting lung health. The idea of anyone who is not as familiar with lung disease, lung pathology, lung structure, lung function, saying that you can vape safely for a period of time and no risk of harm will accrue is, well, it just says more about the person who makes that claim," said Matthew Peters, professor of respiratory medicine at Macquarie University.
Australia has successfully cut smoking rates through strict anti-tobacco measures, including plain packaging and steep taxes.
But researchers warn that the popularity of vapes, particularly single-use types, threatens that success.
"Disposables are highly addictive, sweet, and incredibly cheap so it cuts by about 90 percent the cost of buying your first vaping product," said Peters.
In January, Australia's government banned the importation of single-use or disposable vapes.
There are concerns about how well the anti-vaping laws are enforced and the potential growth of black market vape sales, but many like Peters remain optimistic.
"When the sort of creases in the supply system are ironed out, this will be infinitely superior to having a consumer model," said the professor.
Australia's Labor Party proposed stricter vaping bans to limit sales to people with a medical need, but the proposal was dropped after opposition from Greens lawmakers who said it would restrict access for people trying to quit smoking.
Australia toughens anti-vaping laws, restricting sales to pharmacies
A survey released by CGTN to global netizens shows that respondents strongly condemn the U.S.'s unilateral bullying of other countries under the pretext of "reciprocal tariffs," saying that this move may trigger countermeasures from other countries and eventually evolve into a "tariff world war," seriously impacting the world economy.
The U.S. claims that it has suffered losses in international trade and is raising tariffs on all trading partners under the pretext of "reciprocity," aiming to reduce the trade deficit. However, 81.03 percent of global respondents do not agree with this, believing that such measures will not achieve the expected results. During his first term in office, U.S. President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on major trading partners. According to statistics from the American Action Forum, a think tank, Trump's protectionist policies during the first term cost U.S. consumers about 57 billion U.S. dollars annually. According to the survey, 81.94 percent of respondents believe that "reciprocal tariffs" cannot solve U.S.'s own problems but will only harm the interests of U.S. consumers and drag down the U.S. economic growth.
The competitiveness of products from different countries varies. Each country can set appropriate tariffs based on its own products to achieve "mutual benefit" in the international market. The "tariff farce" of the U.S. side is a selective disregard for the balance of interests reached through multilateral trade negotiations. Some 82.8 percent of the respondents point out that in the context of unequal economic development and economic strength of different countries, the U.S. insistence on full and complete reciprocity in tariffs is extremely irrational.
The majority of the U.S. tariffs this time are targeted at developing countries. Regarding this, 82.96 percent of the respondents condemn the U.S. for conducting "indiscriminate attacks" on other countries on the issue of tariffs, believing that this is a deprivation of the development rights of other countries, especially developing countries. According to the survey, 84.43 percent of the respondents believe that the U.S.'s imposition of "reciprocal tariffs" will exacerbate the problem of trade unfairness with its trading partners and traditional allies, seriously damaging the country's credibility.
As a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), the U.S. has unilaterally and subjectively introduced so-called "reciprocal tariffs" and insisted on implementing them. This is a typical act of unilateral bullying. In response, 79.47 percent of the respondents criticize the U.S. for seriously violating the rules of the WTO. In the survey, 79.58 percent of the respondents say that "reciprocal tariffs" have become a new tool for the U.S. to promote trade protectionism, which will further intensify international trade tensions and global economic fragmentation.
This survey was released on CGTN's English, Spanish, French, Arabic and Russian platforms. Within 24 hours, a total of 9,600 overseas netizens participated in the survey and expressed their views.
CGTN poll: US 'reciprocal tariffs' draw condemnation from world
