In Canberra, Australia, e-cigarettes will now be banned in “tobacco-free” areas and can no longer be sold to minors following new laws that came into effect on Monday.
The advertising, display and marketing of personal vaporizers, also known as e-cigarettes will also be heavily regulated, the companies that sell them will now need to own a tobacco license.
Under the new laws that came into effect on Monday, e-cigarettes and related products will face the same restrictions as tobacco products. The Deputy Minister of Health Meegan Fitzharris said the new restrictions bring ACT (Australian Capital Territory) into line with other territories like NSW (New South Wales) and Queensland.
In a statement, Meegan Firzharris said that "Emerging studies show that e-cigarettes may contain harmful chemicals, such as formaldehyde, they can also damage DNA and act as a gateway to nicotine addiction in children and youth ».
« The restriction of the use of e-cigarettes aims to protect public health, without limiting access to nicotine-free vaporizers for smokers who want to quit smoking. 
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Tony Stubbs, Director of ACT Heart Foundation welcomed this strict regulation of e-cigarettes in the ACT and said he would like to see similar regulation nationwide.
« We consider this to be a positive step in maintaining the health of ACT residents, Tony Stubbs said. " The best thing that you can do for your health is to quit smoking by using e-cigarettes. The e-cigarettes currently for sale in the Australian market are neither tested nor regulated. »
According to him " There is not enough evidence to make us believe that using electronic cigarettes is safe, especially over long periods of time. Currently, there is no evidence that they can help someone quit smoking. »
According to the most report of the Chief Medical Officer of Health, ACT has the lowest proportion of daily smokers in the country at 13%. The report warns that e-cigarettes had become an emerging health problem and had the potential to "re-normalize smoking, especially among our youth».
For Meegan Fitzharris, regulating e-cigarettes helps protect the strides ACT has made over the past several decades in preventing people from smoking. Regulations should prevent a "re-normalization" of smoking.
