A new set of strict regulations will have businesses facing a fine of up to $11 million for stocking banned vapes.
Effective from October 1 2021, new laws will also prohibit the purchase of nicotine vape products without a doctor’s prescription.
Pharmacies will stock the nicotine vapes accessible via a prescription. Vape shops, however, will only be allowed to stock non-nicotine vapes, flavours and devices.
The new regulations will ban certain ingredients used in flavouring e-cigarettes, which have been proven to cause long-lasting harm.
Cinnamaldehyde, which creates a cinnamon flavour and acetonin, which creates a creamy flavour, are among the flavouring ingredients that have been banned.
A Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) spokeswoman recently stated that an individual possessing a product that doesn’t comply with the new regulations might face a punishment of up to 5,000 penalty units, or $1,110,000.
A corporation risks up to 50,000 penalty units or $11,100,000.
oh no…. *vapes anxiously*
— hunter? i hardly know ‘er! (@pixiecorpses) July 7, 2021
Banning certain flavours will not only weed out the vaping products which have shown to pose a serious health risk, but will also target vape use amongst teenagers, who are more likely to buy flavoured products.
The TGA notes that the reason for the changes to e-cigarette regulations is to curb the: “significant increase in the use of nicotine e-cigarettes by young people in Australia“.
Between 2015 and 2019, the use of vaping products by Australian youths increased by 96 per cent.
The TGA also notes that: “(t)he changes strike a balance between the need to prevent young people from taking up nicotine e-cigarettes while allowing current smokers to access these products for smoking cessation on their doctor’s advice.“.
Besides obtaining a doctor’s script to purchase e-cigarettes from a pharmacy, individuals may rely on the Personal Importation Scheme.
The scheme allows doctors to grant certain e-cigarette users a prescription, of three months or less, to purchase vapes from overseas websites.
Lasagna flavored vapes for all !
— The Real Mad Twatter°˖✧~ (@_thebigtweet) July 10, 2021
