Key takeaways
- NVPs sold outside pharmacies illegal in South Australia since 1 March 2024
- Illegal vapes have dangerous chemicals, high nicotine.
- Legal vapes available from pharmacies for cessation.
- Nicotine prescription required for purchasing pharmacy NVPs.
- Over 2,200 pharmacies in Australia stock NVPs.
With all of the media chatter and confusion recently you may be wondering, “are vapes banned in South Australia?“.
In a nutshell, no, but with some caveats – only non-prescribed nicotine vaping products (NVPs) sold outside a pharmacy are banned in South Australia, and the entire country for that matter.
If you’re wondering about the vape ban in South Australia and if you can still access them, here’s everything you should know.
The Expanding Vaping Market in Australia
Australia saw vaping arrive in the market in 2007, but it only reached mass appeal – including non-smokers and children – over a decade later. At that point, about 550,000 people were using these products.
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These days, about 1.7 million Australians are now using vaping products – nearly 3x more in just a few short years. This figure is rising by 30% every year due to low quality, for-profit, and unregulated disposable NVPs being illegally sold in tobacconists and convenience stores.
Unfortunately, a huge number of the millions already vaping have never smoked a cigarette, and many of them are teenagers and children as young as five years old who access these problematic products due to apathetic retailers focused on maintaining (and growing) profits at any cost.
Originally, NVPs were made for smoking cessation, but now it has become a means to create a new generation of nicotine addicts.
What Vapes are Being Banned in South Australia?
As we’ve mentioned, not all vapes are being banned – legal ones are still accessible for motivated smokers looking to quit smoking.
Illegal vapes are the low quality and unregulated products you can purchase nearly anywhere – groceries, tobacconists, corner shops, you name it. They’re even available in children’s toy stores.
The main purpose of these low quality products is profit. They’re worth as little as $1 wholesale but are sold at a 3,500% markup packaged with dangerous chemicals.
For instance, high amounts of nickel and lead and foreign saliva has been found in these imported vapes – not something you’d like to inhale hundreds of times a day. They also have hazardously high nicotine content – about 357mg worth apiece.
Parties who sell these have no concern with public health – only their personal wealth.
Let’s look at the legal side of things. NVPs available from pharmacies are the only products allowed to be sold in Australia. These are locally insured, are manufactured in medically-certified facilities, and are provided along with professional medical supervision.
These are also rigorously tested for inhalation safety by expert toxicologists and are designed purely for smoking cessation.
As these aren’t part of the ban, motivated smokers can have peace of mind knowing they have a tool made with their health and journey away from cigarettes in mind.
When are Vapes Being Banned in South Australia?
As of 1 March 2024, all NVPs sold outside of pharmacies without prescriptions are illegal.
It might sound restrictive at a glance, but for motivated smokers and the Australian population in general, it’s great news as the regulations have paved the way for clearer and more widespread access to high quality products meant for smoking cessation – ones that are thoroughly regulated, tested and locally insured.
Navigating Prescriptions Amidst a Vape Ban in South Australia
If you’re a motivated smoker or a former illegal NVP user looking to use NVPs for smoking cessation, you have nothing to worry about regarding the vape ban in South Australia. You can still access vapes under a smoking cessation programme.
Here’s how you can get started.
Go Through First-Line Solutions First
You need a nicotine prescription before you can purchase NVPs. As a second-line solution, one requirement is that you’ve already tried and failed to quit smoking with a first-line treatment, such as NRT products.
NRT products (like patches and gums) are the most trusted quitting option available for motivated smokers. They might not imitate cigarettes, but they contain a small dose of nicotine that may be enough to alleviate your withdrawals.
While NRTs can be effective, they don’t work for everyone. If these haven’t done the trick for you, you may now be eligible for a nicotine prescription.
Chat to a GP
As mentioned, NRT products have worked for many successful ex-smokers. But, you might have ingrained behaviours and triggers that only something that mimics a cigarette can successfully address, such as the hand-to-mouth motion, and needing something to use while having a drink with friends.
If your GP deems it necessary, they can write you a nicotine prescription for NVPs.
You can chat to your usual GP about this, or book a phone chat with an authorised prescriber of nicotine.
Visit Your Local Pharmacy
Once you have your nicotine prescription, you can pop down to your local pharmacy. Over 2,200 pharmacies across Australia hold these products in-store, but any pharmacy can order these in for you if they don’t currently stock them.
Both your pharmacist and GP can advise you on how best to use the product, such as the initial setup, and the number of puffs to take when you feel withdrawals.
The Impact of Regulatory Changes to Vapers
Australians can look forward to leaving dangerous illegal vapes in the past, and can now receive effective guidance from stop-smoking GPs, who can prescribe pharmacy NVPs if they deem it necessary.
Illegal NVP users also stand to benefit from the regulatory changes – now, they can conveniently buy NVPs sold in pharmacies and use something made with their health in mind. Furthermore, any GP can prescribe NVPs if they find it effective to help you stop craving for a cigarette or illegal vape.
Adapting to the New Vaping Landscape
The best way to adapt to the new vaping market is to think of quitting vapes and nicotine entirely with the help of a GP. Now, both motivated smokers and illegal NVP users can safely quit the habit with the best tools on offer.
For motivated smokers, they receive the added benefit of having any GP prescribe NVPs from pharmacies if suitable, plus, a future of ever-improving smoking cessation products made to medical device standards.
It’s best to keep in mind that pharmacy NVPs are still second-line solutions. NRT comes first – and if that doesn’t help, your GP can assess your quit attempt and consider if an NVP can help you quit for good.
Smokefree Clinic – Your Partner in Quitting Smoking
Are vapes banned in South Australia? No, and if you’re quitting smoking or vaping, you won’t have to worry about anything – tested and medically supported NVPs are now becoming much more available from pharmacies under prescription.
If you’re ready to quit for good, we can help.
Smokefree Clinic gives you access to many medically reviewed and trustworthy resources that can inform and aid you in your path to wellness, so have a look around!
If you’re ready to get started, Smokefree can connect you to Australian healthcare professionals who excel in helping patients quit smoking for good, including via the use of pharmacy NVPs.