Adults over 18 will be able to get their vapes from pharmacies, while those under that age will need to get a script from their GP.
The Senate has today passed the new vaping reforms legislation, The Therapeutic Goods and Other Legislation Amendment (Vaping Reforms) Bill 2024, that will help keep e-cigarettes and vapes out of the hands of children.
Pharmacist and Assistant Minister for Mental Health Emma McBride said, “what we’re doing is making sure that for people who legitimately want to use vapes as a way of smoking cessation, that they can see their pharmacists, have a consultation with them, and be offered alternative forms of nicotine cessation”.
“They’ll have to be over 18 and show their licence,” McBride added.
“We’re putting really strong restrictions on vapes, including the amount of nicotine that’s in the vapes, and they’re presented in ways, like a clinical product, to stop the next generation of nicotine addicts.”
The Pharmacy Guild of Australia and the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia have come out against the amendments to the bill.
A Guild spokesperson said it was a “dirty Senate deal” and that “pharmacies becoming vape retailers, and vape garbage collectors is insulting”.
More details in tomorrow’s issue of Pharmacy Daily.
