Australia is allegedly “cracking down” on vaping.
What does this signify, though? And who is it going to affect?
This article examines the recently announced changes and offers advice on what to do if you or a loved one is impacted.
What is evolving?
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) now regulates nicotine-containing e-cigarettes, or vapes.
Only pharmacies that accept prescriptions will sell these vapes, or individuals with prescriptions may import nicotine vapes from abroad under the Personal Importation Scheme.
However, personal importation will soon come to a stop, and in Australia, vapes will only be sold to authorised pharmacies with a prescription.
All e-cigarettes, nicotine or not, will need to be imported into the nation with a permit, which may only be obtained from pharmacies.
A number of further adjustments have also been announced by the Australian government, including:
outlawing all single-use, disposable vapes; controlling flavours, colours, and other components in vapes; requiring packaging like that of pharmaceuticals; and halting the import of non-prescription vapes.
Additionally, the government has said that it will collaborate with the states and territories to outlaw the retail selling of e-cigarettes. Over the next few months, more information about this is anticipated.
The government says it would seek to make it easier to secure a prescription for legitimate therapeutic usage, so those who want to access vapes to help them stop smoking can do so through a GP.
Why are Australia’s vaping laws changing?
Teenage vaping is a topic of great concern.3. However, there is also a dearth of up-to-date population-level data regarding the vaping population in Australia. Based on available data, the user base has increased from 4.4% in 2016 to 9.7% in 2019.
Furthermore, usage does seem to be more prevalent among youth:
Of research participants aged 13-19, 66% had experimented with vaping in 2022.6 Of the 14–17 year olds surveyed in NSW in 2021, 32% reported having ever tried an e-cigarette.7.
Of those surveyed nationally in 2022 between the ages of 15 and 30, 14% said they currently used a vape pen.
Early in 2023, the TGA requested comments on proposed changes to Australia’s laws governing nicotine-containing e-cigarettes.
They discovered that there was substantial support for outlawing disposable vapes and that all state and territory administrations favoured stricter border controls for e-cigarettes. On the TGA website, you can read more about the comments.
When will the new vaping regulations go into effect?
Although the Australian government has stated that reform in this sector is “urgent,” it has not stated when these reforms will take place.
What should I do if I vape right now?
Speak with your doctor if you or someone you care about wishes to use nicotine vapes to quit smoking. A prescription allowing lawful access to e-cigarettes may be issued by them, or they may offer additional assistance and direction.
In addition, there are numerous programmes and resources available to assist those who would like to stop now, prior to the implementation of the changes. View our section on supporting youth in quitting as well as the tools provided below.
Even if they do, a lot of vapes that are sold illegally without a prescription at retail establishments or online don’t mention that they contain nicotine.ten, eleven
This could indicate that some young people who vape are unaware of their nicotine dependence.
That’s problematic because people experience withdrawal symptoms when they quit taking nicotine.
Symptoms of nicotine withdrawal include:
irritation, anxiety, cravings, difficulty focusing, and sleep issues
feeling down or melancholy.
After quitting smoking, these symptoms typically reach their height in the first few days and begin to lessen in the weeks that follow.
f the issues outlined in this article are affecting you, please do not hesitate to contact us, and we will do what we can to help you with your situation.