Calls for Prescription Only Sales of E-cigarettes in Australia

On March 14th, according to a report from the Daily Mail, Associate Professor Becky Freeman from the University of Sydney in Australia published an article in the journal Public Health Research and Practice stating that only pharmacies should be allowed to sell imported e-cigarettes, and these e-cigarettes should only be available for prescription needs related to quitting smoking. Freeman also stated that the only way for Australia to rid itself of nicotine e-cigarettes is to ban all commercial sales of e-cigarettes.

According to 2FIRSTS, as of October 2021, Australia will prohibit the import of nicotine-containing electronic cigarettes without a prescription. However, Professor Freeman states that local retailers, manufacturers, and importers in Australia still label nicotine-containing electronic cigarettes as nicotine-free in order to secretly bring them into the Australian market.

Professor Freeman stated that legal importation of nicotine-free e-cigarettes is a loophole for importers, while a complete ban on their importation would protect young people. However, it may be acceptable to allow the use of e-cigarettes for smoking cessation purposes, but this would require a prescription from a doctor.

She added that the decrease in the number of nicotine e-cigarettes entering Australia will make enforcing existing laws easier.

According to a survey launched by the Australian Department of Health in 2022, one-third of adolescents aged 14 to 17 have tried vaping.

The Queensland Parliament in Australia is set to introduce new legislation on Tuesday that will seek to crack down on illegal nicotine products, establish more smoke-free areas, and restrict the sale of tobacco in licensed venues.

Related reading;

Queensland, Australia initiates an investigation into electronic cigarettes with potential changes to related legislation.

Reference:

Obtaining and Usage of E-Cigarette Products Among Adolescents Aged 14-17: A Cross-Sectional Study.

There are growing demands to prohibit the sale of all vaping products in Australia, except when prescribed by a doctor to assist patients in quitting smoking.