Banned levels of ingredients linked to harmful lung diseases such as 'popcorn lung' have been found in nearly a third of vapes sold in Australia, reports Daily Mail.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) found that 31 per cent of the 214 analysed e-cigarettes had chemical concentrations that exceeded the legal limit. Those substances included the additives vitamin E acetate and diacetyl, which is widely associated with a rare condition called bronchiolitis obliterans that damages the small airways in the lungs, the report said. The disease is nicknamed 'popcorn lung' because diacetyl used to be added to microwave popcorn as a food colouring.
The TGA also found that all 190 nicotine vape products tested violated new labelling rules designed to warn customers of the potential dangers. According to the report, a spokesman for the government body said the banned ingredients were known to cause lung damage in the form of bronchiolitis obliterans and EVALI.
EVALI, which stands for e-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury, is believed to be caused by vapes containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a psychoactive substance also found in marijuana and vitamin E acetate.
In October, a federal law was passed requiring minimum safety standards for nicotine vapes imported from overseas and mandating warning labels. The law also made it illegal to purchase nicotine vapes without a prescription.
The new laws aim to curb the risk of nicotine vaping uptake in young adults, while also making the products accessible for smokers who want to quit, according to the TGA.
There are still two ways prescription holders can purchase nicotine vaping products in Australia; at a pharmacy or by importing from overseas websites. Prescriptions can only be filled by one of 80 authorised prescribers or by a doctor licensed under the TGA's Special Access Scheme B., the report said.