E-cigarettes in Australia

Some regulatory facts of the vaping situation in Australia

Plain packaging was first introduced as a tobacco control technique in Australia in 2012 and has since been introduced, under the European Union’s Tobacco Products Directive (TPD), in France, the UK and Ireland.

The current regulatory framework for e-cigarettes is shared between the federal government and the states and territories, and may also apply to therapeutic goods, poisons and consumer goods.

Australian consumers can import e-cigs containing nicotine in limited quantities for personal use, on condition that the importer must hold a prescription from an Australian-registered medical practitioner and only import no more than three months’ supply at a time.

The manufacture and import for commercial purposes of e-cigarette hardware and nicotine-free products are permitted in all states except Western Australia as long as no therapeutic claims are made.

Since nicotine-free vapour products are considered consumer products and can be sold freely, various state-level regulations have been enacted to protect minors, such as age restrictions, retail licensing and public place use bans.