Data intelligence for the vapour sector in Australasia

14th January 2025: New Zealand: The Asthma and Respiratory Foundation and the Cancer Society New Zealand have criticised a government scheme that offers free vaping kits to smokers who give up cigarettes. While acknowledging that vaping products carry lower risks than smoking, the organisations have expressed concerns that the plan fails to effectively address nicotine addiction overall.
18th December 2024: New Zealand: On 16th December 2024, The Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Amendment Bill received royal assent. As of 17th December, penalties for breaking the law have been increased, new specialist vape stores will need to have zoning restrictions, and all vape retailers must notify the Ministry of Health that they are selling vaping products. As of 17th June 2025, retail visibility restrictions and the ban on disposable vapes will enter into force.
13th December 2024: New Zealand: The Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Amendment Bill was adopted in the third and final reading. The main changes expected are zoning restrictions for specialist vape stores, increased penalties for breaking the law, retail visibility restrictions and a ban on disposable vapes. The bill must now be given the royal assent. The zoning restrictions and increased penalties will come into force the day after the royal assent, and the ban on disposable vapes and retail visibility will come into force six months afterwards.
27th November 2024: New Zealand: The minister of health has published an action plan “Getting to Smokefree 2025: The final push to achieve the Smokefree 2025 goal”, which sets a target of a smoking prevalence of less than 5% for all population groups (with a smoking rate now of 6.9% in 2023/24). One of the measures established to achieve the goal is to provide free quit smoking support, such as vape starter kits.
27th November 2024: Australia: The Legislative Council of the State of Tasmania has passed the Public Health Amendment (Vaping) Bill 2024, which maintains the prescription requirement for vaping products that was lifted at federal level from 1st October 2024. This means that while in other states vaping products containing less than 20 mg/ml can be accessed by anyone over 18 without prescription, in Tasmania it will still be required in all circumstances. Additionally, while the sale of vaping products to under-18s with prescription is allowed at federal level, it will remain prohibited in Tasmania. The state of Western Australia is the only other state that has gone beyond the federal regulations to require a prescription in any case.
21st November 2024: Australia: The government of the state of New South Wales (NSW) has introduced to the parliament a bill establishing harsh penalties for illegal vape supply. Fines are set at between AUD1,650 (USD1,075) and approximately AUD1.54m (USD1m), with prison sentences increasing from six months to seven years. The bill also establishes high penalties for retailer possession of vaping products destined to be sold, as their sale is now limited to pharmacies only.
20th November 2024: New Zealand: The Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Amendment Bill, expected to come into force in November, was adopted in the second reading last week. The main changes expected are zoning restrictions for specialist vape stores, increased penalties for breaking the law, retail visibility restrictions and a ban on disposable vapes. The zoning restrictions and increased penalties will come into force once the bill is approved, and the ban on disposable vapes and retail visibility will come into force six months afterwards. The bill is currently awaiting its third reading.
13th November 2024: Australia: The Australian government is preparing a national programme to discourage young people from vaping. The programme, which has been drafted by experts and co-designed with educators and young people, aims to be accessible in more than 3,000 schools across the country. “We’re standing with thousands of parents and educators who are rightfully concerned about the impact of vaping and cigarettes on the health and well-being of young Australians,” said health minister Mark Butler.
5th November 2024: New Zealand: The Ministry of Health has published the upcoming changes to the vaping and tobacco laws that are being discussed in Parliament through the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Amendment Bill, expected to come into force in November. The main changes are zoning restrictions to specialist vape stores, increasing penalties for breaking the law, retail visibility restrictions and banning disposable vapes. The zoning restrictions and increased penalties will come into force once the bill is approved, and the ban on disposable vapes and retail visibility will come into force six months after. The bill is currently waiting for its second reading.
31st October 2024: Australia: Yesterday (30th October), the state of South Australia passed the Tobacco and E‑Cigarette Products (Miscellaneous) Amendment Bill 2024. The bill imposes the highest penalties in the country for the sale of illicit vapes. The sale or possession for the purpose of selling vaping products will be punished with up to AUD750,000 (USD491,000) for the first offence and AUD1.1m (USD720,000) for subsequent offences.
31st October 2024: Australia: From today, 31st October, vaping products can only be sold upon prescription in the state of Western Australia. At the federal level, the sale of vaping products with a nicotine content below 20 mg/ml to adults (18+) has been allowed since 1st October. However, the state decided to maintain the prescription requirement in all circumstances. This measure makes Western Australia the state with the toughest restrictions in place. The Department of Health said it would continue to enforce the unlawful sale of vapes.
28th October 2024: Australia: Police in the state of Victoria have seized 200,000 illegal vapes worth AUD8m ($5.2m) found in a warehouse in Melbourne, press reports. Last Wednesday (23rd October), police also seized around 600,000 cigarettes, vapes and other tobacco products in a raid conducted in another venue. Vaping products can only be sold in pharmacies.

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