Australian government cracks down on smoking and vaping

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia’s tobacco tax will be increased by billions of dollars over the next four years as the government cracks down on smoking and vaping. Health Minister Mark Butler said Tuesday that recreational vaping will be banned as the government seeks to prevent the next generation from becoming addicted to nicotine. Butler says the tobacco tax will be raised by 5% a year starting from September. This follows a $157-million boost for tougher regulation of e-cigarettes, including new controls on their importation and packaging. Daily smoking rates in Australia are around the lowest among Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development countries, with just 11.2% of Australians 15 and over smoking in 2019.