E-cigarettes in Australia

Australia: More than 15,000 nicotine-containing e-cigarettes have been seized in Western Australia in an operation analysing the content of e-cigarettes that were claimed not to contain nicotine. The state authorities have put more than 3,000 retailers on notice, advising them that the sale of nicotine-containing e-cigarettes other than by a pharmacy and without a medical prescription is banned.

Australia: A change of government, following the weekend’s election, could have a direct impact on nicotine and innovative tobacco products in the country. The Australian Labor Party, which has promised to crack down on “unhealthy products”, now has 75 seats in the House of Representatives (out of 151) and 26 in the Senate (out of 76). This approach, together with the existing 2030 National Tobacco Strategy, which will be focused on reducing tobacco lobbying and holding public campaigns warning of the dangers of tobacco products, is sure to play a big role in future regulation.

Australia: Western Australia’s Department of Health has reported that it seized 950 nicotine-containing e-cigarettes which were being sold without a doctor’s prescription, which has been illegal in Australia since 1st October 2021. Western Australia does not differentiate between nicotine-containing and nicotine-free vaping products, prohibiting non-prescription sales of either.

Australia: The Australian Bureau of Statistics yesterday published the results of its 2020/21 smoking and vaping prevalence survey. They show that almost 9.3% of adults have tried vaping at least once and 2.2% vape regularly, including 4.8% of those aged 18-24. In all, 21.7% of 18-24s had tried vaping at least once. Strikingly, the survey also shows that among current smokers, 23.8% were former users of vaping products.

Australia: Doctors and public health experts are reportedly urging the government to ban the sale of nicotine-free vaping products that may seem appealing to children. While nicotine-containing e-cigarettes have been subject to prescription since last October, the import and sale of nicotine-free products are not subject to the same requirement. Since the nicotine-containing vaping products import restrictions came into force, the Border Force has seized 248 shipments of such products.

Australia: The state health and education departments of New South Wales have together launched a campaign to reduce vaping among teenagers. The “Get the Facts – Vaping Toolkit” aims to raise awareness of the alleged harmful long-term effects of vaping, with health minister Brad Hazzard claiming it has been proven that e-cigarettes can be as addictive as combustible cigarettes.