Originally, vapes would have become a prescription-only product, however the Greens pushed for a model that will allow vapes to be sold over the counter after raising concerns about criminalising users and the cost of seeing a GP. The party’s health spokesperson, Jordon Steele-John, said the Greens had been concerned about a “prohibition” approach to the product, reports The Guardian. “No one should be penalised for personal use of vapes. The prohibition of drugs has failed,” he said.

The legislation is expected to pass parliament shortly and come into effect on 1 July but there will be a gap until October to allow for the reclassification of the poisons schedule. This means that vapes will be restricted to access with a GP prescription from 1 July until pharmacists become eligible on 1 October and can sell plain-packaged vapes to over 18s in mint, menthol or tobacco flavoured as a therapeutic tool without a prescription being necessary. Flavoured vapes will still be banned and pharmacists will discuss the product with the buyer at the point of sale, similar to conversations around buying quantities of pseudoephedrine, to talk about the health harms of the product, reports The Guardian.



The Pharmacy Guild has criticized the move saying it would turn pharmacies into vape retailers and “vape garbage collectors” and wants the Senate to rethink the measure.