Australian gov't to utilize TikTok in anti-smoking, vaping campaign

The Australian government has launched a new campaign encouraging people to quit smoking and vaping.

Mark Butler, the minister for health, on Monday announced a 63.4 million Australian dollars (41.7 million US dollars) advertising campaign to raise awareness about the health harms of smoking and vaping.

The campaign marked the first time that the federal government has advertised to the public about the risks and harms of vaping and its first national anti-smoking advertising campaign for almost 10 years.

The campaign will run across television, radio and social media. For the first time, TikTok will be used in a federal government advertising campaign.

"Nicotine is highly addictive and before you know it, what starts as an occasional thing becomes something much more serious. But it's never too late to quit," Butler said in a statement.

According to NGO the Cancer Council, tobacco smoking is the leading cause of preventable death and disease in Australia, accounting for 24,000 deaths every year.

The government's National Drug Strategy Household Survey for 2022-23, which was released in February, found that 21 percent of Australians aged 18-24 and 9.7 percent of those aged 14-17 used an e-cigarette in the previous 12 months, up from 5.3 and 1.8 percent in 2019, respectively.

Butler in March introduced legislation to parliament that would outlaw the domestic manufacturing, advertisement, supply and commercial possession of non-therapeutic and disposable single-use vapes in Australia.

The government in January banned the import of disposable, single-use vapes.