![Mr Joyce says vaping should be sold and regulated like cigarettes are. Picture by Peter Hardin Mr Joyce says vaping should be sold and regulated like cigarettes are. Picture by Peter Hardin](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/184392265/4986cafb-e21c-4799-880d-d70f1d208328.jpg/r0_0_5568_3143_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Nationals' MP Barnaby Joyce said vapes need to be sold like cigarettes so officials can have more control over what is in them and who buys them.
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"They shouldn't taste like mangoes or pineapples, they should taste like cigarettes," Mr Joyce said.
Mr Joyce said the legislation introduced in October 2021 that made it illegal to sell e-cigarettes containing nicotine without a prescription, has just made them more appealing.
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"When you ban things all that happens is an illicit black market sets up and sells them," Mr Joyce said.
He said any excise collected from the sale of e-cigarettes could also go towards investing back into regional health.
Mr Joyce's comments come as NSW Health continues its investigations, after raids on properties in Tamworth, Armidale, Glen Innes and Armidale netted $180,000 of illegal vapes, tobacco leaf and cigarettes in January.
A major study by the Australian National University (ANU) found that vaping was highly addictive and could cause poisoning, seizures, and loss of consciousness caused by nicotine overdose.
Headaches, cough, throat irritation, burns and injuries mainly caused by batteries in the vapes exploding were the other risk factors identified.
Young people who vape were also about three times more likely to go on to smoke regular cigarettes, the report claimed.
Lead author of the report ANU's professor Emily Banks said almost all e-cigarettes contain nicotine and that recent evidence has shown that vaping is becoming more popular, especially among children and adolescents.
"Addiction is common in people using vapes and young people are especially vulnerable to addiction as their brains are still developing," Prof. Banks said.
"People using vapes are inhaling a complex cocktail of chemicals."
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