What You Should Know About the Vaping Blackmarket

If you’ve heard about the vaping blackmarket and thought it sounded dodgy, you’re spot on. 

Illicit NVPs, which you can easily find in convenience stores and tobacconists, are brought under the radar. Just like illegal tobacco and drugs, these vapes are made as cheaply as possible to maximise profits.

These vaping products are no different from illegal drugs, alcohol, weapons, and other blackmarket contraband—brought in by criminal groups and falling outside any regulations. 

That means they don’t follow proper manufacturing standards, so they’re often packed with dangerous, unidentified chemicals. 

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In fact, recent lab tests show these questionable vapes can contain harmful levels of cancer-causing metals like nickel and lead.

What’s worse is these products are targeting young people, including kids as young as five, along with teenagers and non-smokers, to create a new generation of nicotine addicts. 

It’s no surprise they’re popping up in convenience stores, tobacconists, and even toy shops, making vaping seem normal and hard to avoid.

Let’s take a closer look at the local vaping blackmarket, what’s driving its growth, and how we can put a stop to it, giving smokers the best shot at quitting for good.

What Defines a ‘Blackmarket’?

The ‘blackmarket’ is basically the underground economy where illegal goods, services, or commodities are traded without any oversight from regulatory authorities. 

It’s notorious for dubious dealings and huge price hikes. 

When it comes to the vaping blackmarket, distributors flood the market with low-quality products that cost them as little as £1 but are sold to vulnerable buyers at a staggering 3,500% markup.

So, buying from the blackmarket not only means you’re getting a poor-quality product, but you’re also being ripped off—hurting both your health and your wallet.

How to Know if You Bought Vapes from the Blackmarket

The info about the black market can sound alarming, but spotting illegal vapes isn’t too hard. 

Are they sold anywhere other than a registered pharmacy? If the answer’s yes, then it’s an illegal black market vape. 

These dodgy products are usually the ones sold for around $35, often displayed near sweets and snacks in local corner shops, making them easy to access—even for kids.

That’s why in Australia, smoking regulations have tightened up, banning the sale and distribution of imported vapes without a prescription.

More About Pharmacy NVPs

NVPs sold in pharmacies are made under stringent pharmaceutical standards on the manufacturing process and ingredients, are toxicologically assessed for inhalation, are locally insured, and are specifically designed to help you stop smoking.

Its manufacturers comply with GMP and ISO for medical device manufacturing, ensuring that you’re using a carefully designed and crafted device involving medical professionals.

More and more GPs are confident in prescribing pharmacy NVPs to their patients because of their high manufacturing standards and efficacy over standard NRT quit aids. The latest Cochrane Review found high-certainty evidence that NVPs are more effective than NRT in helping people stop smoking.

Most importantly, the prescription model of NVPs from pharmacies ensures they’re kept away from non-smokers, teens, and children who shouldn’t have access to them in the first place.

Am I Breaking the Law for Buying Illegal Vapes?

If you bought vapes from any establishment aside from pharmacies, you’re breaking the law.

Not only do you possess a subpar and dangerous product, but you might also have a run-in with the local authorities and have to pay a fine of $11,000 to $55,000 for possessing NVPs without a prescription.

However, with the new import laws strengthening the framework for pharmacy NVPs, illicit NVPs won’t be as prevalent as they were before.

Here’s a list of fines for buying illicit vapes by state and territory.

Can I Still Import Vapes from Overseas?

Yes, but only if you have a GP’s prescription and the product you purchase matches the nicotine level and other specifications your GP prescribes.

However, if your GP indicated that you must only purchase an NVP from a local pharmacy, you cannot import vapes from overseas as they would not match your prescription.

How Do I Buy Vapes Without Breaking the Law?

The only way to buy vapes legally and not enrich the blackmarket is through pharmacies. Here’s the process to help you get started on a quit journey with an effective aid that’s proven to work for motivated smokers.

Go Through First-Line Solutions First

As mentioned, 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 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 more about this.

Visit a 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.

Summary

The vaping blackmarket thrives on making profits and not caring about the quality of their products or the customers they sell to, especially not considering their age and need for smoking cessation.

By buying NVPs from pharmacies, you can stem the growth of this blackmarket and give yourself a quit-smoking aid that’s far more effective and works especially well under a smoking cessation programme.

We know you’re reading this because you want to know more about the vaping blackmarket always mentioned in the news. We hope you found this information useful.

If you want to start quitting smoking 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.

Link Reference

• https://www.bbc.com/news/health-65614078
• https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/health-problems/aussie-kindergarteners-caught-in-vaping-trend-principal-claims/news-story/ee3b6b89457c9e6e089b535abe89170b
• https://www.kidspot.com.au/news/melbourne-kids-shop-caught-allegedly-selling-tobacco-products-amongst-toys/news-story/f3b6cec7ac2b3da48c9db66cf9e2feb5
• https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/may/03/australia-vaping-ban-import-vape-vapes-crackdown-what-we-know-and-dont-know-so-far
• https://www.tga.gov.au/good-manufacturing-practice-overview
• https://www.iso.org/iso-13485-medical-devices.html
• https://www.cochrane.org/news/latest-cochrane-review-finds-high-certainty-evidence-nicotine-e-cigarettes-are-more-effective
• https://www.criminaldefencelawyers.com.au/blog/is-vaping-illegal-in-australia/