September 30, 2024
Changes to vaping rules in Australia
You might have heard that Australia has ‘cracked down’ on vaping.
But what does this mean? And what effect will the changes have?
Here, we breakdown the changes that have happened – and what you can do if you, or someone you know, are impacted.
What’s changed?
From January 1, 2024, the Australian Government banned the importation of disposable vapes into Australia.
This includes vapes with and without nicotine. Disposable vapes are e-cigarette devices that can’t be recharged, or reused.1
And from March 1, 2024, other requirements were introduced including:
- a ban on the importation of all vapes (including rechargeables) without an import licence and permit
- specific product requirements for imported vapes, with flavours limited to mint, menthol or tobacco.1
Some therapeutic vapes are allowed.
These are vapes for someone quitting smoking, or managing a nicotine dependence (addiction).1 Therapeutic vapes had previously required a prescription, but now they can be bought from pharmacies by people aged 18 and above without a prescription.2
Flavours for therapeutic vapes will be limited to mint, menthol or tobacco, packaging will be a plain pharmaceutical style and they cannot have a nicotine concentration higher than 20mg/ml. People who require vapes with a higher concentration of nicotine will require a prescription.3
Therapeutic vapes for patients under 18 years will depend on individual state/territory laws. The laws in some jurisdictions prevent the supply of any vape to a person under 18.3
To find out more about these changes visit the Therapeutic Goods Administration’s vaping hub or the Government’s vaping webpage.
Why have vaping regulations changed in Australia?
There is growing concern around young people vaping.4
Lifetime use of vapes in Australia increased from 11.3% in 2019 to 19.8% in 2022/23, and the number of people currently using a vape nearly tripled from 2.5% to 7.0% over the same period.5,6
And use appears to be more common in young people:
- In 2022-23, 12.9% of students surveyed, aged between 12-15, had vaped in the last month; compared to 22.1% of 16-17 years old.7
- In 2022, 66% of study participants aged 13-19 had tried vaping.8
- In 2022/23, 26.6% of Victorian secondary school students had ever tried vaping.9
- In 2021, 32% of 14-17 year olds surveyed in NSW had ever used an e-cigarette.10
- In 2022, 14% of national survey respondents, aged 15-30, reported currently using a vape.11
In early 2023, the TGA asked for feedback on potential reforms to the regulation of nicotine vapes in Australia.
All state and territory governments supported tighter border controls for vapes, and there was strong support for banning disposable vapes.12 You can read more about the feedback on the TGA website.
What can I do if I vape?
If you, or someone in your life, wants to use nicotine vapes to stop smoking or manage a nicotine dependence, contact or visit a nearby pharmacy. If you’re struggling to locate a pharmacy, have a chat with your GP who may be able to assist and also provide you with other support and guidance.
There’s also a range of resources and services that can help people interested in quitting. See our information on helping young people to quit, and the resources listed below.
Many vapes sold illegally at retail stores or online without a prescription don’t state they contain nicotine - even though they do.13, 14
For some people who vape, this may mean they’re dependent on nicotine without realising it.
That’s a problem, because when someone stops using nicotine they go into withdrawal.
Nicotine withdrawal symptoms include:
- irritability
- anxiety
- cravings
- having trouble concentrating
- sleep problems
- feeling sad or depressed.15
These symptoms usually peak in the first few days after someone stops using nicotine and they start to reduce in the weeks following.
For help and support, see the resources listed below.
What impact will the vaping reform changes have?
The Government hopes these changes will stop the growing black market for vapes, and reduce accessibility by teens.16
How effective the changes will be remains to be seen. And thorough data collection will be needed to understand the impacts.
Reducing the accessibility of illicit vapes will depend on how well importation and sales restrictions are enforced.
Recognising this, the Government also announced a new national enforcement framework – and additional funding over the next two years to introduce and enforce the changes, including:
- $25 million to Australian Border Force
- $56.9 million to the TGA.17
Other initiatives are also needed to address vaping by young people, including:
- improved education
- better support pathways
- consultation with young people.18
It’s also important that young people aren’t criminalised for possessing a nicotine vape without a prescription.
Some states and territories already prohibit individuals having any unprescribed nicotine vapes and these laws are unlikely to change.
While penalties will remain in place, the Australian Government has stated it won’t seek to criminalise people for possessing a vape without a prescription for personal use.1
That’s a positive move, as we know the criminalisation of substances causes harm, particularly to young and vulnerable populations. Impacts can include:
- inability to get a job due to having a criminal record
- experiences of stigma and discrimination
- overall negative impacts on wellbeing.19
Decriminalisation can reduce these harms.
You can read more in our updated Position Paper on vaping.
Help and resources
- Quit (13 78 48) has a range of resources – including making a quit plan, quitting tips and tactics and resources and factsheets for parents. While some of these are designed for people quitting smoking, they can also be used to help quit vaping.
- Read our article Helping young people quit vaping.
- Visit Raising Children’s list of helplines for parenting advice or support.
- Find out more via Positive Choices fact page or Dovetail’s vaping resources.
- Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). New regulation of vapes starting January 2024 2023 [24.01.2024].
- Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). Changes to the regulation of vapes 2024[08.07.2024].
- Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). Vapes: information for individuals and patients 2024 [24/09/2024].
- Gartner C. Will the latest vaping reforms find the right balance and what will they mean for recreational vapers? The University of Queensland [Internet]. 2023 [24.01.2024].
- Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. National Drug Strategy Household Survey 2022–2023 2024 [14.06.2024].
- Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. National Drug Strategy Household Survey 2019 2020 [24.01.2024].
- Scully M, Bain E, Koh I, Wakefield M, Durkin S, Cancer Council Victoria. ASSAD 2022/2023: Australian secondary school students’ use of tobacco and e-cigarettes 2023 [24.01.2024].
- Connolly H. Vaping Survey: Key Findings - What do young people in South Australia think about current responses to vaping and how to better respond? 2022 [24.01.2024].
- Scully M, Bain E, Koh I, Wakefield M, Durkin S. ASSAD 2022/2023: Victorian secondary school students’ use of tobacco and e-cigarettes.Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer: Cancer Council Victoria; 2024 [24.09.2024].
- Watts C, Egger S, Dessaix A, Brooks A, Jenkinson E, Grogan P, et al. Vaping product access and use among 14-17-year-olds in New South Wales: a cross-sectional study. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, [Internet]. 2022 [24.01.2024].
- Pettigrew S, Miller M, Alvin Santos J, Raj T, Brown K, Jones A. E-cigarette attitudes and use in a sample of Australians aged 15-30 years.Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, [Internet]. 2023 [24.01.2024]; 47(2):[100035 p.].
- Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). Proposed reforms to the regulation of nicotine vaping products 2023 [24.01.2024].
- Jongenelis MI. Challenges and opportunities associated with e-cigarettes in Australia: A qualitative study. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, [Internet]. 2023 [24.01.2024]; 47(1).
- Therapeutic Goods Administration. Potential reforms to the regulation of nicotine vaping products: Consultation paper 2022 [24.01.2024].
- National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA). Is nicotine addictive? 2022 [24.01.2024].
- Department of Health and Aged Care. Taking action on smoking and vaping 2023 [24.01.2024].
- Department of Health and Aged Care. Next steps on vaping reforms 2023 [24.01.2024].
- Gartner C. How do you solve a problem like youth vaping? Drug and Alcohol Review [Internet]. 2023 [24.01.2024]; 42(5):[1298-300 pp.].
- Law Reform Road and Community Safety Committee. Inquiry into drug law reform: Parliament of Victoria; 2018 [24.01.2024].