As of 28th Nov 2023, the Australian government has announced changes to vaping laws that will be gradually introduced throughout 2024. The changes, announced by Mark Butler, the Minister for Health and Aged Care, are designed to protect young people by reducing access to black-market disposable vapes.
While these laws are targeting youth vaping, half of Quit Clinics patients are aged 40 and over. Regardless of age, almost every Australian who vapes will be affected by these changes.
When will disposable vapes be banned?
From the 1st of January 2024, the Government has implemented a ban on the importation of all disposable/single-use vapes. The ban includes both nicotine and nicotine-free disposable vapes.
Why are disposable vapes being banned?
This decision has been made to close a current loophole that has led to millions of strong, poor-quality, disposable vaping devices flooding the black market. Environmental concerns have also been cited. Disposable vapes are currently being sold under the table or via social media and are frequently being used by young people. While nicotine-containing vapes require a prescription to import into Australia, non-nicotine-containing vaping devices can be imported legally into Australia without a prescription. Unfortunately, this has led to some overseas manufacturers simply taking nicotine off the packaging ingredients list. This dangerous loophole has meant the majority of black market vapes are not labelled correctly. Many users of these products, particularly young people, are unaware of just how much nicotine they contain, with one single device often containing the equivalent nicotine of ten packets of cigarettes. Unsurprisingly, these deliberately mislabelled products tend not to be the safest option, or produced to high quality standards.
Are all vapes being banned?
The Australian Government does recognise that vaping can be an effective tool for smokers who have otherwise been unable to quit. As such, not all vapes are being banned. Stricter product standards will be introduced throughout 2024 though. These include limiting flavour options and lowering the maximum allowed nicotine concentrations. The hope is that the new laws will limit access to poor-quality products to young people, while maintaining and strengthening access to high-quality products for smokers who have otherwise been unable to quit.
Is the Personal Importation of Vapes Being Banned?
As of March 2024, the government banned the importation of vaping products for personal use, even with a prescription. Quit Clinics doctors are aware that previously, many of our patients prefer to import vaping products, particularly from New Zealand, where product standards are high, and more options are available. Daily, we hear from patients who, despite seeking medical guidance and obtaining prescriptions, struggle to quit smoking due to their inability to access appropriate vaping products at local pharmacies. Consequently, they opt to legally import such products from overseas suppliers. Effective March 1st, 2024, the exclusive legal means to purchase vapes within Australia will be through Australian pharmacies.
Many of our patients are fearful that they will no longer be able to access the specific treatment that has helped them quit smoking or that treatment options will be very limited, or unaffordable. This is why Quit Clinics created Quit Chemist, to ensure there were imported NZ high quality products with a range of options to consumers.
What is Quit Clinics doing to help?
We understand that a lot of our patients feel unfairly targeted by these changes. Quit Clinics will continue to support our patients, and we are always happy to answer any questions you may have – you can email support@quitclinics.com any time, and one of our doctors will get back to you within 24 hours.
Importantly, Quit Clinics has launched Quit chemist. A new pharmacy initiative in collaboration with vaping suppliers and pharmacies. We are confident that the launch of this project will mean a more streamlined experience for our patients, particularly for those who have previously imported. For the majority of our patients, we are confident that the experience and access to treatment should be no more difficult, and in many cases, much easier. While we are excited to have launched this new initiative, we respect our patients right to choose, and there will be no obligation to take part if you’d like to use an alternative legal access pathway. We understand the frustration and anxiety that many are feeling at the moment, but we want to assure our patients that legal access to a variety of quality, compliant and affordable products will remain throughout this transition period, and beyond.
