The Albanese government has watered down its proposed vaping laws and introduced a world-first ban.
From Monday, July 1, it will be unlawful to sell vapes outside of a pharmacy setting in Australia.
Users will need a medical prescription from July 1 to buy vapes, but that won’t be a requirement from October 1, when vapes containing nicotine are downgraded on the poisons schedule.
This means vapes will only be available legally from a pharmacy counter and won’t be available to people under 18 without a prescription.
The Pharmacy Guild of Australia has criticised the deal – they say pharmacists were healthcare professionals who dispensed medication.
“Vaping has long-term patient harms, including cancer, lung-scarring and nicotine addiction,” a guild spokesperson said.
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