If you’re a smoker, you’re definitely aware that vaping exists as an alternative because you probably have several friends who used to smoke and have quit by switching to vaping. In particular, it’s likely that many of those people use disposable vapes. They’re tasty and satisfying, and they offer an unprecedented level of convenience because they require no maintenance – you simply take them out of the package and use them.
In Australia, though, disposable vapes have one major problem: They’re very difficult to find locally, and the ones that you can find contain no nicotine. That’s because Australia’s legal regulations handle vaping products in a somewhat different way compared to many of the other nations in the world. If you want to use nicotine – as almost all vapers do – it is possible to buy disposable vapes in Australia. However, you’ll need to buy them from an overseas company – i-e www.vapovapes.com in the USA or like Premium Vape in New Zealand – that’s set up to comply with Australia’s unique vaping regulations.
Reading this guide, you’re going to learn everything that you need to know about buying disposable vapes in Australia. First, though, what exactly are disposable vapes?
What Are Disposable Vapes?
A disposable vape is a self-contained vaping device that’s designed to be discarded when it runs out of e-liquid. A disposable vape comes with a fully charged battery and a supply of vape juice. You can use it immediately after removing it from the package, and you’ll use it by simply puffing on it like you would puff on a cigarette.
Disposable vapes aren’t designed to be refilled when they’re out of e-liquid – and aside from a few devices that have very high e-liquid capacities, disposable vapes also aren’t designed to be recharged when their batteries die. Therefore, it’ll be necessary to replace a disposable vape after a few days of using it. However, disposable vapes are incredibly convenient – much more convenient than tobacco cigarettes, in fact – and they’ll save you thousands of dollars per year compared to smoking.
Why Is It So Hard to Buy Disposable Vapes in Australia?
The reason why disposable vapes with nicotine are so hard to buy in Australia is because liquid nicotine is a controlled substance here. You can buy traditional tobacco products over the counter, and you can also buy nicotine replacement products that are approved as smoking cessation aids. However, you can’t buy vaping products with nicotine from traditional retailers.
There is, however, an exception available via the Therapeutic Goods Administration. The law allows for the possibility that certain controlled substances have therapeutic uses and are difficult to obtain here. Therefore, you have the ability to obtain a prescription and import those products for yourself in limited quantities for personal use. That exception is called the Personal Importation Scheme.
In the remainder of this article, we’ll explain how to take advantage of the Personal Importation Scheme and buy disposable vapes in Australia.
How to Buy Disposable Vapes in Australia
To legally buy disposable vapes in Australia, you need to follow a two-step process that involves obtaining a prescription for the products and importing those products from an overseas vendor. Here’s how it works.
How to Get a Prescription for Disposable Vapes
To buy disposable vapes with nicotine in Australia, you must begin by obtaining a prescription from a doctor. If you already have a primary care physician, you can start by talking to that person and explaining that you need a prescription for disposable vapes in order to quit smoking. If you have difficulty, the Australian Tobacco Harm Reduction Association maintains a list of doctors who understand the benefits of vaping and know how to write the prescription.
It’s important to note here that the responsibility to comply with the prescription requirement for buying vaping products with nicotine in Australia is solely yours. If you try to order products “under the table” and are caught, the potential penalties are very harsh.
How to Buy Disposable Vapes
Once you’ve obtained a prescription, you’re free to order disposable vapes and have them shipped to you. You’ll need to import the products from an overseas vendor. To avoid lengthy shipping times, you’ll want to choose a vendor that’s nearby. You’ll also want to buy from a company that understands Australia’s vaping regulations and is set up to comply with them, so your best bet is to buy from a vape shop in New Zealand like Premium Vape.
When you import disposable vapes or any other vaping products with nicotine into Australia, there are three important things that you must remember.
- The nicotine strength of the products must match the nicotine strength on your prescription. The most common nicotine strength for disposable vapes is 5 percent.
- The order can contain no more than a three-month supply of products.
- You must have your prescription ready when you pick the products up. In many cases, the vendor will include a copy of the prescription in the shipping box. If your prescription isn’t in the box, you should be prepared to show it to a customs agent if asked. If you can’t prove that you have a current nicotine prescription, the products may be confiscated, and you may face a potential fine.
Are There Any Alternatives to Importing Disposable Vapes?
Although importing from overseas vendors is the most common way of buying vaping products in Australia, it’s not the only way. It’s definitely what you want to do if you want to buy disposable vapes and want those devices to contain nicotine – but if you only need one or the other, there are two alternatives that you can consider.
- You can bring your prescription to a local compounding pharmacy. Compounding pharmacies can fill nicotine prescriptions if they have the necessary ingredients. Since no disposable vapes have been approved in Australia for therapeutic use, though, you won’t find them at a pharmacy. You’ll only find e-liquid, and the e-liquid most likely won’t taste very good.
- You can also buy nicotine-free disposable vapes from local vape shops in Australia. Since those devices don’t contain nicotine, you can buy them without a prescription. Many people in Australia do quit smoking successfully with the help of nicotine-free vapes, so that might be worth a try if you don’t want to go through the effort of obtaining a prescription.
