Legalities

On October 1 2021, it became illegal to obtain nicotine vaping products without a prescription from a doctor. This includes products purchased in Australia and from overseas. This means that the vapes you used to get from your local tobacco store are now illegal.

Currently, there are no TGA approved nicotine vaping products listed on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG), which means the safety, quality and efficacy of such products has not been evaluated. This is one of the reasons why the involvement of a healthcare professional has been introduced.

There are two main ways in which you can legally obtain nicotine vaping products:

Through a doctor and pharmacy; or
Through a doctor and by importing from overseas by yourself using the Personal Importation Scheme.

Naturally the first option is our recommended way to purchase nicotine vaping products. Australian pharmacies can only supply products from wholesalers that have agreed to meet Australian TGO 110 standards. Products that are imported internationally may contain harmful ingredients. Further, they require you to submit your prescriptions to border force, and can take up to several weeks to arrive.