The Australian government has announced that it will adjust its e-cigarette policy. From July, no prescriptions will be able to buy vapes in pharmacies, a relaxation of the original strict ban. The government will provide additional funding for young people to support them in quitting smoking. Vapes sold in pharmacies will continue to be sold in pharmacies.
Australia’s vape policy may change
The Australian government has withdrawn plans for the commercial sale of vapes. No prescription will be required to buy them in pharmacies. The Sydney Morning Herald reported on June 24th.
Mark Butler, Minister for Health, on Monday (24), We reached an agreement with the Greens to relax the ban on vapers, which will come into force in July, so that the Senate can pass legislation to ban retail sales. The initial stricter proposal was not supported by a majority of senators.
According to sources familiar with the agreement, customers will still need a doctor’s prescription to purchase vaping after the e-cigarette ban takes effect in July. In the future, however, adults will be able to buy vapes through pharmacies without a prescription from a GP. They can buy them over the counter after speaking to a pharmacist.
Meanwhile, people under 18 will be able to buy e-cigarettes on prescription if they feel clinically appropriate.
To support young people to quit smoking, the Government has also committed additional funding.
Vapes sold in pharmacies will remain controlled and meet general packaging requirements.
Butler’s tweak is a compromise to the huge political capital invested in the success of the vaping ban. He will announce details of the entire change at a later date.
Butler had previously floated the idea of letting people buy e-cigarettes from pharmacies without a prescription but said he would consider that when prescriptions don’t work.
Butler last November, said:
- “Health ministers are interested in exploring it. For example, pharmacies are full of similar products and only pharmacists can offer e-cigarettes. Typically, they need to be behind the counter with a pharmacist, but they don’t need a doctor’s prescription.”
- “We haven’t made a decision yet. But I have said before that if [the planned reforms] are not enough to ensure that e-cigarettes are available to people who need the treatment. We will look at other ways.”
Both the Greens and the National Party are skeptical of the stricter version of the law first proposed by former Coalition health minister Greg Hunt in 2021 in his plan to ban all retailing and require pharmacies to obtain e-cigarettes with a GP prescription, as proposed by Labor (Greg Hunt).
The Greens are in line with the two main parties when it comes to stopping children from buying vapes from unlicensed stores.
But Jordon Steele-John, the Green Party’s health affairs spokesman, is concerned. Quitting smoking can be difficult and expensive for those who want to quit but need a GP appointment to get a prescription. According to the Department of Health’s analysis of the Butler Plan, 450,000 Australians will be looking for e-cigarette prescriptions each year, which will require nearly one million GPs to navigate.
John also expressed skepticism about the way the ban was implemented. Noting that it had failed.
Many young Australians use vapes and banning their sale would be a hidden political issue.
“No one should be penalized for personal use of e-cigarettes. Anti-drug policies have failed. Many under 18s rely on cigarettes and tar. We need to make sure we have the right settings in place to support these people to quit smoking.”
