Disposable vapes used by more than a million Australians will be banned under a major crackdown on vaping that aims to rid convenience store shelves of thousands of products, but the federal government will make it easier for people to vape with a doctor’s prescription.
Nicotine vapes are already illegal without a doctor’s prescription but legal loopholes and weak enforcement at the border and in shops have allowed sales to flourish under the counter as well as online. A government spokeswoman said the Therapeutic Goods Administration and Border Force would receive more funding to ramp up their enforcement, but the additional workload and costs had not been finalised.
Butler said he would also make it easier for people to get a prescription for “legitimate therapeutic use”. Currently, there are a limited number of doctors willing to prescribe vapes as a smoking cessation tool.