Tobacco control is widely seen as a public health priority. Fewer smokers, reduced disease burden, and improved health outcomes — these goals are broadly supported across society.
However, the real challenge lies not in the goals themselves, but in how they are pursued.
In recent years, Australia has emerged as a global example of aggressive tobacco control policies. Through record-high taxes, plain packaging, and near-total restrictions on nicotine alternatives such as vapes, Australia aims to create a “smoke-free society.”
However, the unintended consequences of these extreme measures reveal a more complicated reality: illicit trade is expanding, product safety is harder to guarantee, and adult smokers are left with fewer regulated, lower-risk alternatives.
Australia: When Extreme Policies Undermine Public Health
Australia has implemented some of the strictest tobacco control measures in the world, including:
• The highest cigarette taxes globally
• Plain packaging requirements that eliminate all branding
• Severe restrictions on access to regulated vapes and other nicotine alternatives
Despite these efforts, the outcomes have been far from ideal.
According to the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) 2023 report, illicit tobacco now accounts for 24.8% of total tobacco consumption in the country, resulting in an estimated AUD 2.3 billion in lost tax revenue annually.
More concerning, restricting access to regulated harm reduction products has unintentionally driven many adult smokers toward the black market. These unregulated products lack quality control, may contain unknown harmful substances, and fuel organized crime.
At the core of this issue is a common misunderstanding: conflating nicotine dependence with the primary health risks of smoking.
While nicotine is addictive, the most significant health harms of smoking stem from the combustion of tobacco, which produces tar, carbon monoxide, and thousands of toxic chemicals.
Effective tobacco control is not simply about banning all nicotine products. It is about separating nicotine use from the harmful byproducts of combustion — and providing adults with regulated, lower-risk alternatives.
Vapes, when properly regulated, embody this principle by delivering nicotine without burning tobacco, significantly reducing exposure to harmful substances.
Overly restrictive policies do not eliminate demand. Instead, they drive it underground, making it harder to protect public health and consumer safety.
Beyond Prohibition: A Pragmatic Approach to Harm Reduction
Public health experts have long emphasized that prohibition alone is insufficient to address smoking-related harm. This is particularly true for adult smokers who struggle to quit and lack access to safer alternatives.
The emergence of vapes represents a pragmatic response to this reality — a tool for harm reduction based on science, not ideology.
The United Kingdom presents a contrasting approach.
Public health authorities, including Public Health England, have consistently emphasized that regulated E-cigarettes are significantly less harmful than combustible cigarettes.
The UK government also acknowledges that regulated, lower-risk vaping products can play a role in tobacco harm reduction for adult smokers.
Available data shows that the increased use of vapes among adults has not resulted in higher youth smoking rates. On the contrary, the overall smoking rate in the UK has continued to decline.
In comparison, Australia’s prohibition-focused policies have not succeeded in eliminating smoking. Instead, they have fueled the illicit tobacco trade and made it more difficult for adult smokers to access safer, regulated alternatives.
Adult Smokers Deserve Realistic, Regulated Choices
While protecting young people remains a central goal of tobacco control, it is equally important to recognize the realities faced by millions of adult smokers.
For many, quitting entirely is difficult. Without accessible, regulated alternatives, adults are left with few viable options:
• Prohibition limits access to lower-risk products
• Illicit markets exploit demand, introducing unsafe, unregulated products
• Public discourse often oversimplifies the issue, stigmatizing all nicotine products without distinction
Vapes are not entirely risk-free. But when properly designed, manufactured, and regulated, they offer a significantly reduced-risk alternative to smoking. They provide a realistic pathway for adults to reduce harm — without forcing an all-or-nothing choice.
Choice, Regulation, and Science — Not Extremes — Are the Way Forward
Extreme bans may appear decisive in policy debates, but in practice, they often backfire — fueling black markets, undermining product safety, and limiting harm reduction options for adults.
The most effective approach to tobacco control combines science, realistic alternatives, and responsible regulation. Technology, when properly applied, plays a key role in reducing the health risks associated with smoking.
At SP2S, we remain focused on product innovation, safety, and compliance, providing adult smokers with regulated, lower-risk alternatives that align with evolving public health policies.
We will continue to follow global regulatory developments and work within science-based frameworks to support responsible harm reduction for adults.
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