Over 10 million vapes seized and fewer young people taking up vaping

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and Australian Border Force (ABF) have seized more than 10 million illicit vapes, with a current street value of almost half a billion dollars, from the Australian market since January 2024.
 
This strong action at the border and across the country has kept profits out of the black market and vapes out of the hands of our most vulnerable and impressionable, young people.
 
Interceptions at the border, coupled with ongoing domestic enforcement activity by the TGA and state and territory authorities, continue to disrupt the supply of illegal vapes.
 
South Australia has some of the toughest laws in the nation when it comes to combatting illicit tobacco and vapes with a dedicated tobacco taskforce raiding stores and shutting them down.
 
Since 5 June – when the state’s new closure laws came into effect – almost 20 stores have been hit with 28 day closure orders. The Magistrates Court can order longer term closures on application by the Minister.
 
In total, $35 million worth of illicit tobacco and vapes has been taken off the streets in SA over the past year with state and federal authorities working closely to shut this illicit trade down.
 
In the twelve months since Australia’s world leading vaping reform legislation was passed there is evidence fewer young Australians are taking up vaping.
 
The latest research from the Generation Vape Project, the most comprehensive survey on vaping in Australia, has found the rate of vaping dropped from 20 to 18 per cent among 18-24-year-olds from 2023 to now.
 
Among 14-17-year-olds, the rate of vaping was rapidly rising in recent years but started to drop in the last quarter of last year, falling from 18 per cent in early 2023 to 15 per cent in the latest data.
 
The Generation Vape Project also finds that young people are reporting less of their friends vape in 2025 (7.6 per cent) compared to 2023 (14.9 per cent), and they are being exposed to less vape advertisements on popular social media platforms in 2025 compared to early 2024.
 
Young people aged 14-17 years are vaping less, those who have never vaped or even had a few puffs has increased to 85 per cent compared to 83 per cent in early 2023. Those who have never smoked or even had a few puffs of a cigarette is at its highest rate on record at 94 per cent.

In South Australia, 106,500 vapes worth more than $4.5 million have been seized by state authorities.
 
Across the country, South Australia’s nation leading approach to enforcement is working with the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) finding vaping rates among 15 to 29-year-olds in 2024 reduced by around a third when compared to 2023.
 
Vaping rates among the 30 to 59 age group also dropped by around half, while overall, vaping rates for people aged 15 and above were reduced by more than a third.

 

Suspensions relating to vaping at South Australian schools dropped by a staggering 50 per cent. In Term 1 of 2023 there were 388 suspensions compared to 186 in Term 1 of 2024. A trend of greater than 50 per cent has continued throughout terms 2 and 3 of 2024 compared to 2023.
 
This latest data is promising, but we know this will require a sustained effort from all levels of government, parents, schools, health professionals and members of the community.
 
Young Australians who vape are significantly more likely to take up cigarette smoking. That’s why the Albanese government is taking such strong action, to prevent future generations from the serious health harms of vaping and smoking.
 
We continue to significantly invest in ensuring young people understand the harms of vaping, smoking and nicotine addiction to spark this conversation.
 
Tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable death in Australia and is estimated to kill more than 24,000 Australians a year.
 
People interested in quitting smoking or vaping should speak to their healthcare practitioner, visit quit.org.au for support or download the My QuitBuddy app.
 
Quotes attributable to Minister Butler:
 
“Twelve months on from the commencement of the vaping reform legislation, we remain resolute in our work to enforce the vape reforms and educating Australians on the health harms of vaping.
 
“Vaping rates skyrocketed in the five years before these reforms, particularly among young people.
 
“Vaping rates for young Australians have now turned the corner.
 
“Our education and prevention campaigns as well as support to deter people from taking up vaping and smoking or to quit are making a difference.
 
“It may take time to see a big decrease in vaping and smoking, but we are here for the long haul for a healthier Australia.”
 
Quotes attributable to Minister Picton:
 
“South Australia is leading the nation in the fight against vapes and illicit tobacco.
 
“Vapes are full of highly-addictive nicotine and horrible chemicals. It’s awful hearing parents’ stories about their kids getting hooked and having trouble sleeping, problems concentrating at school, losing their appetite and becoming irritable.
 
“This is why our Government, working with the Albanese Government, has been so focused on getting vapes off our streets and out of the hands of our young people, and educating the next generation on the health impacts.
 
“The only thing we should be putting in our lungs is air and we are glad that our measures are making a difference.”
 
Quotes attributable to Minister Michaels:
 
“In South Australia, we are doing everything we can to get illicit tobacco and vapes off our streets.
 
“At the same time as the Albanese Government introduced world-leading reforms to combat the rise of vaping at the national level, the Malinauskas Government acted in lock step to stop the scourge here in SA.
 
“We have taken more than 100,000 vapes out of the hands of young people and cracked down on the criminals peddling them with the toughest penalties of any state in Australia.”