E-cigarettes in Australasia

Global business and regulatory news and updates from the vape industry

9th October 2024

Imperial sees strong NGP growth, keeps to forecasts ahead of November results

18th September 2024

Governments get stricter on disposables amid health and environmental concerns

25th July 2024

BAT expects new launches to accelerate H2 performance, after revenue drop in H1

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Daily regulatory tracking of the e-cigarette sector. It includes weekly podcasts and monthly compilations

1st October 2024: Australia: Starting today, over-18s will not require a prescription for vaping products with a concentration of less than 20 mg/ml. Sale of these products will still be limited to pharmacies, and only one month’s supply can be purchased over the course of one month. Vaping products with a higher nicotine concentration will remain subject to prescription. The state of Tasmania, however, aims to maintain the prescription requirement, as announced by the state’s director of public health Mark Veitch. Tasmania is currently in the process of adopting a bill that, if passed, will restrict vaping product sales to over-18s with a prescription.
1st October 2024: New Zealand: As of today, retailers, distributors, local manufacturers and importers must only sell reusable vaping products that contain removable batteries and are compliant with child-safety mechanisms.
27th September 2024: New Zealand: The parliament has extended the deadline for public submissions on the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Amendment Bill (No. 2) to 4th October. The bill includes a complete ban on disposable vapes, increases in fines for sales to under-18s, visibility restrictions on retailers, and proximity restrictions. It is under analysis by the Health Committee, which will gather information and prepare a report on the bill.
25th September 2024: New Zealand: In a forum organised by Health Coalition Aotearoa, associate health minister Casey Costello said they are committed to achieving the Smokefree 2025 target of less than 5% smokers, and to do this they “have to be anti-smoking, not necessarily anti-nicotine”, press reports. She also added that they have accepted that “using a safer form of nicotine is an important tool in getting people on the pathway to stop smoking tobacco. This is from nicotine patches through to vaping.”
17th September 2024: Australia: The government of Queensland has amended the Tobacco and Other Smoking Products Act 1998 in order to toughen the state’s sanctions for selling illegal vaping products, press reports. Under the amended act, retailers may face up to two years in prison and fines of up to AUD1.6m (USD1.1m). The act also establishes the possibility of closing a shop for up to six months if the retailer continues to sell illicit vaping products. From 1st July, e-cig products can only be sold at pharmacies upon prescription. From 1st October, prescriptions will no longer be necessary but e-cig sales will still remain restricted to pharmacies.
13th September 2024: New Zealand: The Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Amendment Bill (No. 2) has been agreed on a first reading by the parliament. The bill aims to completely ban disposable vapes, increase fines for sales to under-18s, add visibility restrictions on retailers and add proximity restrictions. It was referred to the Health Committee, which will gather information and prepare a report on the bill. Public submissions will be open until 27th September.
12th September 2024: New Zealand: The government has introduced the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Amendment Bill (No. 2), which aims to tackle youth vaping. The bill includes a complete ban on disposable vapes, increases in fines for sales to under-18s, visibility restrictions on retailers, and proximity restrictions. Minister of health Casey Costello said that the next steps in the government’s smoke-free programme would be updating and strengthening the regulation of vaping and other nicotine products.
29th August 2024: Australia: A legislation establishing penalties for the illegal sale of vaping and tobacco products has been introduced by the South Australian government. The bill aims to sanction with severe penalties the supply of vaping products and tobacco heating devices in places other than pharmacies as well as their sale to under-18s. It also aims to ban nicotine pouches. If the legislation is eventually passed, South Australia will become the state with the toughest penalties on illicit vaping and novel products in the country. Additionally, the government is investing AUD16m (USD11m) in an inspection task force within Consumer and Business Services to crack down on illegal trade of those products.
26th July 2024: New Zealand: The Ministry of Health sent a reminder that, from 1st October, all vaping devices must have a child safety mechanism and a removable battery and that retailers have to manage their stock to sell it down until that date. The requirement for disposable vapes has been in force since 21st October 2023. The ministry also published how the child safety mechanism should work. It requires at least two simultaneous or five sequential operations before the vaping device is turned on, and must automatically turn the device off within a period of no more than ten minutes after vaping has stopped.
24th July 2024: New Zealand: After opposition parties criticised health minister Casey Costello’s decision to cut the excise tax on heated tobacco products (HTPs) by 50%, the minister said in a parliamentary enquiry that the government is committed to achieving Smokefree Aotearoa 2025 (less than 5% of smokers) and ensuring there are “tools available to achieve the target audience quitting smoking”. She added that “the main audience for this change are the quit-smoking providers, all of whom I will be meeting with over the next month to discuss the best way to continue to reduce smoking rates and achieve our smoke-free 2025 target”.
2nd July 2024: New Zealand: Prime minister Christopher Luxon has published the coalition government’s action plan for the third quarter. One of the 40 points listed in the plan is to “introduce legislation to tighten controls on youth vaping”. No further details have been released.
26th June 2024: Australia: The Senate, due to an agreement between the government and the Greens, has voted to ease the planned restrictions around accessing vaping products. The government decided earlier in the year to fully restrict their sale to pharmacies upon prescription from July 2024. However, it has now agreed with the Greens that vaping products will not be subject to prescription requirements, although their sale will still be limited to pharmacies, as a Schedule 3 medicine, and they will be required to comply with neutral packaging requirements. Minister of health Mark Butler said the government’s aim is to “return vapes to their original intention and that is: a therapeutic product”. The changes will come into force in October 2024.

Detailed full-length reports including data and analysis of numerous vaping markets around the world

20th August 2024

Australia: market snapshot, August 2024

27th March 2024

New Zealand: market snapshot, March 2024

23rd June 2023

Australia: market snapshot, June 2023

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Top changes that matter in this month’s Policy Radar update, March 2024

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Top changes that matter in this month’s Policy Radar update, February 2024

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