Aussies Can No Longer Legally Import Nicotine Vapes From Today

It's now illegal to import nicotine vape and vape products into Australia.

The federal government earmarked October 1 as the date when the e-cigarettes would be banned from entering the country.

The head of Australia's pharmaceutical regulator said the move was introduced to combat the massive rise in people using them.

Australia had already banned the sale of nicotine vapes without a prescription and it's actually illegal to be in possession of one (except for in South Australia).

However, lawmakers had never banned them from being imported into the country. That was the case until October 1.

Australian Border Force will now have the power to intercept and seize packages of vapes, pods or liquid nicotine coming in from overseas.

It will become a lot harder, if not impossible, for your local tobacconist or convenience store to be selling these bad boys.

Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) head John Skerritt said vaping was massively on the rise in Australia and health authorities say it isn't just people trying to quit smoking who are using them.

"There are a lot of tobacconists and convenience stores, and even things like sex shops, who are selling these products illegally at the moment," Professor Skerritt said.

"Especially young children, we've had many reports of schools, in fact, some even year 7 students, kids who are 11, 12, 13 using high levels of nicotine vapes. The trend is on the up in Australia."

You'll still be able to get a vape through a valid prescription, which you can get from your GP if you're eligible. People can also buy vapes that don't contain any nicotine, which is essentially just inhaling flavoured vapour.

Aussies can cop a $220,000 fine if you're found to possess a vape without a prescription.

Director of the Australian Tobacco Harm Reduction Association (ATHRA) Alex Wodak reckons there will be some people who will have a massive supply now that they're properly banned.

"Some of them will have years of supply ahead of them," he said. "The people who will be most affected will be the people who are currently smoking and who decide they want to switch to vaping, after October 1st, they're going to find it very difficult.

He added that it could be really difficult for some ex-smokers.

"The smokers are going to find it very hard to jump through all the hoops that are going to be set up," he said.

Featured Image Credit: Alamy

Topics: Australia

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie is a Trending Journalist at LADbible. His first job was as a newsreader and journalist at the award winning Sydney radio station, Macquarie Radio. He was solely responsible for the content broadcast on multiple stations across Australia when the MH17, Germanwings and AirAsia disasters unfolded. Stewart has covered the conflict in Syria for LADbible, interviewing a doctor on the front line, and has contributed to the hugely successful UOKM8 campaign.

@stewartperrie