One of the world's tightest set of regulations on vaping has just gone into effect in Australia. It's part of a broader campaign to cut down on a habit the country's health minister calls a “public health nemesis."
Starting this week, the only place in Australia where people can legally buy a vaping device is a pharmacy.
Any convenience store, tobacco store or other retailer selling them can face fines equivalent to more than $1.3 million.
Most advertising is banned for vaping products, the packaging is plain, and there are only 3 flavors: tobacco, menthol and mint.
Anyone wanting to buy a vape needs a doctor’s prescription — a measure that is temporary at the moment.
In order to get these restrictions through the Australian parliament, lawmakers agreed that after October, only minors will need a prescription.
However, many in the pharmacy industry are not happy about being the long-term shop of last resort for vaping fans.
An executive with the Pharmacy Guild of Australia told CNN, “Community pharmacies do not want to supply this potentially harmful, highly addictive product without a prescription.”
A recent survey from the government’s Alcohol and Drug Foundation found that nearly 13% of Australians between the ages of 12 and 15 had vaped in the last month.
For 16 and 17-year-olds, that figure was more than 22%.
