According to a report from ABC News on January 17th, well-known Australian YouTube blogger, Samuel Parsons, also known as "Vape Bogan," has announced that he will be relocating to the United Kingdom due to the government's recent regulations banning the import and sale of e-cigarette products.
Parsons makes a living by reviewing e-cigarette products. However, a new government regulation will restrict the sale of these products to Australian citizens solely through pharmacies and with a prescription, starting from March 1st of next year.
In a video posted to his 185,000 subscribers, Parsons expressed his frustration with the stringent law, stating, "This is really unfortunate, as I have to leave my parents and sister behind." The new regulations will compel him to leave Australia and relocate his family to the UK in order to salvage his YouTube project.
Parsons warns Australian e-cigarette users to "stock up now" and predicts that quitting smoking legally in Australia will become "very expensive". The new regulations, which came into effect on January 1st, prohibit the sale of nicotine-containing e-cigarettes in specialist retailers and convenience stores, requiring individuals to obtain a prescription from a general practitioner before purchasing from a pharmacist.
In light of this significant life change, Parsons has taken to crowdfunding platforms to set up a page, requesting support from subscribers to help him relocate to the UK and continue producing videos. Despite the potentially costly decision of relocation, his wife holds dual British citizenship, which would facilitate an easy resettlement for the family.
However, in the same video, Parsons claimed that the new regulations would fail. He told his subscribers, "The Australian government's ban will not be effective, and the black market will only fuel more illegal transactions." Despite Health Minister Mark Butler's warning last week that illegal vendors should find other ways to make money, he did not explain how he plans to tackle the surge in illegal transactions. It is worth noting that despite the ban on e-cigarette imports being implemented, illegal e-cigarette trading is still ongoing in various parts of Australia.
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