Other than pharmacists, retailers will not be able to sell any vape products – whether disposable or non-disposable, containing nicotine or not – under a ban announced by federal Health Minister Mark Butler last week.
Under the regulations, it will be illegal for retail stores to sell vapes. The only way to legally buy them will be through pharmacies with a prescription, meaning it will put an end to recreational vaping.
If the Australian government's plan to ban recreational vaping – particularly among teenagers – succeeds, there won't be any more sales of disposable vapes at corner stores, no flavours, no branding or colourful packaging.
All single-use, disposable vapes will be banned. The reforms aim to make it easier for smokers wanting to quit tobacco smoking to get a prescription and to understand the contents of the vaping products they then buy.
About 11% of the general population aged 14 and over reported in 2019 having ever used e-cigarettes. At 26.1%, ever use was highest among young adults aged between 18 and 24 years, with lower use among older age groups.
Since 1 October 2021, all nicotine vaping products are prescription only medicines across all Australian States and Territories. It is illegal to import, buy or sell vape or e-liquid without a valid permit or prescription. Heavy penalties, including fines and imprisonments apply.
Queensland (QLD) vaping laws
You cannot vape in smoke-free zones and Queensland is the only state in Australia which you cannot import nicotine for personal use from overseas and it is illegal to use an e-cigarette containing nicotine.
No fines issued despite rampant selling of illegal vapes in WA, as parent vents frustration. The sale of nicotine vapes and e-cigarettes without a prescription has been illegal in Western Australia for several years, but not a single retailer has been fined in the past 12 months.
1: Vaping is less harmful than smoking, but it's still not safe. E-cigarettes heat nicotine (extracted from tobacco), flavorings and other chemicals to create an aerosol that you inhale. Regular tobacco cigarettes contain 7,000 chemicals, many of which are toxic.
The decision to prescribe any medicine, including nicotine vaping products, is a decision made at the discretion of the individual doctor, having considered the risks and benefits in your particular circumstances.
Depending on who you listen to, it's either a public health solution, or a public health crisis.
Vaping rates across the population have been on the rise since 2018, with a significant jump between 2020 and March 2023. People aged between 18 and 24 recorded the highest increase in vaping rates in recent years, reaching nearly 20 per cent earlier this year.
Breathing in the harmful chemicals from vaping products can cause irreversible (cannot be cured) lung damage, lung disease and, in some cases, death. Some chemicals in vaping products can also cause cardiovascular disease and biological changes that are associated with cancer development.
You might also be wondering how many cigarettes are there in 3mg e liquid. Around 14 puffs would be equal to one cigarette and a 60 ml bottle of 3 mg e liquid would be equal to 15 cigarettes.
Lung function starts to improve 2 weeks to 3 months after quitting. From 1–12 months after quitting, symptoms such as coughing and breathing problems should improve as lung structures heal. If people wish to quit vaping, they can speak with a healthcare professional.
Are e-cigarettes less harmful than regular cigarettes? Yes—but that doesn't mean e-cigarettes are safe. E-cigarette aerosol generally contains fewer toxic chemicals than the deadly mix of 7,000 chemicals in smoke from regular cigarettes. However, e-cigarette aerosol is not harmless.
They breathe in addictive nicotine and dozens of dangerous chemicals. Research suggests that vaping may affect the way cells in the respiratory tract (nose, throat and lungs) react to germs and may increase the chance of disease and infection from bacterial and virus, like the virus that causes COVID-19.
Disposable vape devices (disposable pods) are ready to vape straight away, and Vape Store has the best disposable vape kits in Australia.
A doctor's prescription or authorisation is required in order to import these goods under the Personal Importation Scheme, and similarly a consultation with a doctor will be necessary in order to access these goods in Australia under the Special Access Scheme or the Authorised Prescriber Scheme.
The Benefits of Quitting
Additionally, quitting vaping will improve your blood circulation and enable your lungs to begin healing. This will result in fewer coughing episodes and improved breathing ability during physical activity.
Can popcorn lung fix itself? The short answer to this is no. Bronchiolitis obliterans is irreversible. Once the damage happens, you can't fix it.
The lung damage he has seen in patients is the equivalent to someone smoking cigarettes for decades. "It literally can kill you the first time you try it," he says.
How many kids are vaping? Teens between 15 and 17 years have a 1600% higher chance of using vapes than adults between 25 and 34 do.
Medical tests can detect nicotine in people's urine, blood, saliva, hair, and nails.