Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) announced a plan under which adults in Australia would need a prescription from a doctor before buying e-cigarette products, starting by June 2021. The change was not limited to vaping: snuff and nicotine chewing gum were named too. This report covers what the regulator proposed and what it meant for vapers there.
Where the law stood
Selling nicotine vaping products was already against the law across Australia, South Australia excepted, unless the sale was for medical use. The TGA’s statement made clear that this sales ban would stay. What changed was importing. Only a person holding a prescription would be allowed to bring these products in from overseas for personal use. Anyone importing without one would be breaking the law, border officers would confiscate the goods, and a fine was possible.
The proposal was open for public comment until Nov. 12. A final decision was expected in December, with the rule taking effect in April or June 2021.
What the TGA said
In its statement, the regulator said a prescription requirement would give patients a chance to talk with a medical practitioner about whether e-cigarettes or other nicotine products were appropriate for them, and that practitioners were well placed to advise on lowering the risks tied to nicotine use. It added that nicotine gums, sprays and patches would not be affected by the proposed decision, and that e-cigarette products would be stocked by pharmacies, both online and physical ones.
The measure was one of several Australian government efforts aimed at reducing smoking and nicotine use, with young people a particular focus.
What it meant for Australian vapers
- Access to nicotine e-cigarette products would start with a visit to a doctor.
- Without a prescription, a person would need a doctor to write one, or to arrange one through a pharmacist.
- Pharmacies would be the main channel for ordering and handing out vaping products to prescription holders.
- Nicotine-free e-cigarette products were left out of the restriction and could still be bought in local shops.
When the proposal was announced, nobody knew exactly what a patient would have to show to get a prescription. The expectation was that a practitioner would look at the person’s medical history and their use of e-cigarette products before deciding.
Would other countries follow
At the time it looked unlikely. Australia was the only country pursuing a prescription model, and one of very few where selling e-cigarette products was illegal at all, although many markets had some restrictions in place. Other governments could still take up the idea depending on how it worked out. A full ban on vaping products elsewhere did not seem likely, but rising concern about young people vaping made tighter regulation a real possibility.
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We follow federal and state law on selling and shipping e-cigarette products, and we sell only to adults, meaning people aged 18 (or 21) and over. If you have an order forwarded abroad by a third party, we carry no legal responsibility for it. Wherever you live, check and follow your local rules on buying and using these products.