Do you even vape bro? Well, not anymore thanks to the Australian government.
Yep, from tomorrow (Friday, October 1) you will no longer be able to legally import nicotine vaping products into Australia. However, those with a prescription can continue to purchase them from a pharmacy. Without a prescription though, you’ll be looking at fines of up to $222,000, so purchasing one is not something you really want to risk.
So how can you get a prescription moving forward? If you book an appointment with your doctor they can provide various options to help you quit smoking (including a nicotine vape prescription). But according to the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), nicotine vapes haven’t actually been approved for use in Australia — so access to one might be tricky. Although, there is an option to buy one from an overseas online retailer through the Personal Importation Scheme.
TGA head John Skerritt said the ban has been imposed to prevent people from taking up nicotine vaping, it’s also due to a “significant increase” in their use by young people.
“There are a lot of tobacconists and convenience stores, and even things like sex shops, who are selling these products illegally at the moment,” Skerritt told The Age.
“Especially young children, we’ve had many reports of schools, in fact, some even year 7 students, kids who are 11, 12, 13 using high levels of nicotine vapes.
“The trend is on the up in Australia.”
I mean, how many of us have a friend who ‘quit’ smoking just to suck on a vape 24/7 because it’s ‘healthier’? It’s still nicotine at the end of the day, and the long term effects of vaping are not currently well understood. Like with most things, the government is playing catch up with these new nicotine vaping laws.
Let’s see what happens in another 50 years, shall we?
