Nicotine Vapes in Australia

Yes, but only if you have a prescription to do so.

From October 1, 2021, the new vaping laws implemented by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) require consumers to have a prescription to possess nicotine and also to order nicotine or import liquids containing nicotine into or from within Australia.

This change is following a reclassification from the TGA (Therapeutic Goods Administration) making nicotine e-liquids a Schedule 4 (prescription only) substance.

If You are Importing Nicotine:
The Australian Border Force is tasked with enforcing the prescription requirements and may seize a non compliant nicotine or e-cigarette shipment that does not include a valid prescription.

From 1 October 2021, the penalty for importing concentrated nicotine, e-liquid containing nicotine or pod devices containing nicotine without a prescription could incur a fine of up to $222,000 under the Customs Act 1901. The offence carries 1,000 penalty points at $222 each.

If You Have Nicotine in Your Vape:

If you are found to have nicotine in your vape without a valid perscription, you may incur a sizable fine.

1. Your GP

Contact your doctor and ask them for a prescription for vaping nicotine.

Vaping is approved as a second-line quitting aid when other methods have failed. So your doctor may want to make sure you have tried other forms of quitting such as patches and gum first.

All doctors can legally write you a prescription for importing nicotine liquid from overseas. However, if you want to purchase nicotine from an Australian pharmacy, your doctor needs to be an ‘Authorized Prescriber’ of nicotine. Many doctors may not be informed about vaping and may refuse to write you a prescription. Here is a great doctor-lead resource from ATHRA that you can point your GP to information about nicotine vaping and prescribing it – https://www.athra.org.au/vaping/

There is also a list of doctors willing to prescribe nicotine on the ATHRA website. Visit the link below for a list of doctors by state

• https://www.athra.org.au/list-of-doctors/

2. Telehealth

Vapescripts:
Vapescripts are based in Australia and offer easy access to medical telehealth consultations and pharmacy services for nicotine vaping products. You can purchase your script and your nicotine from them in an all in one place. 

• Obtain you script
• They offer nicotine shots
• They offer nicotine in 100ml/100mg bottles to mix yourself.
• Based In Australia
• Get Script and Nicotine all in one place

Visit them here

Well Being Medical Center:
This is an Australian based company that offers the same telehealth and one stop solution as Vapescripts. However they don’t have the option to purchase 100ml/100mg straight nicotine, like Vapescripts do. 

• Obtain your script
• They offer nicotine shots
• Based in Australia
• Get Script and nicotine all in one place

Visit them here.

Hiliq:
Hiliq is a Chinese based company that has serviced the Australian and world-wide vape community for years. Whilst we would NOT EVER normally recommend any Chinese company to purchase your eliquids from, we do stand by this company as offering high quality nicotine solutions. In fact they are a world leader in such things.  Hiliq have partnered with Vapescripts, so Hiliq are also a one stop solution. You can purchase 100mg/ml from this company. Understand the product is coming from China, so a copy of your prescription will need to be emailed to them, to include in your order in case border force wants to check your parcel. Also it may take a little longer to get to you.

• Obtain your script
• They offer nicotine shots
• They offer nicotine in 100ml/100mg bottles to mix yourself.
• Based in China
• Get Script and Nicotine all in one place

Visit them here.

Quit Clinics: 
This company offers an online based consultancy prescription service, however then you will need to source your nicotine from somewhere else.

• Obtain your script
• Based in Australia

Visit them here.

Why all these options?
You may like to shop around for the best price or a favourite product?

If You’ve purchased Nicotine Shots or Concentrated Nicotine, then you will be adding either of these nicotine products into a ‘0’ mg flavoured ejuice which you need to purchase separately.
Find your flavoured ejuice here
Find our Nicotine Calculator here

There is also the option of purchasing premixed ejuice from overseas (as long as you have your script) and importing it in. This ejuice already has the nicotine in it.

First and foremost, any vapes sold with nicotine in them in Australia are highly illegal, unless you’ve purchased them from an Australian pharmacy.

The disposable vapes you or someone you know is purchasing from corner stores or tobacconists are illegal. You won’t find them at vape stores as we don’t want to break the law nor do we want to promote this type of junk product amongst the community.  Vaping is meant to be a healthier alternative to smoking. These disposable vapes – put simply, don’t fit into that framework.

Here is why:
Disposable vapes are smuggled into Australia from China and are unregulated. This means we have no idea on the quality or safety of them as the black market producers have no accountability.
Alternatively, leading brands of vape hardware sold by reputable Vape Vendors are subject to certain worldwide standards to make them safe. One such example is, if a battery is overheating, safety features have been built in place so the device will cut out so you are not injured by a battery overheating and possibly melting in your hand or blowing up. We have certainly heard of both these things occurring with the unregulated disposable vapes

The leading vape brands have been under the scrutiny of the worldwide vaping community for years. This severe scrutiny has seen the vape industry grow and improve over the years in the areas of safety and the quality of the products being used. One such immensely important area is the Ejuice you are consuming.

Legal, regulated ejuice and nicotine products must meet the TGO 110 standards set by the TGA. Therefore you can feel assured of the quality and standards of the ejuice you are consuming when purchasing well known brands from your trusted vape vendor. Just like you would want to care about they way your food is being prepared for your consumption, so to, it is just as important as to the way your ejuice has been prepared for your consumption.

In contrast, there is no information about such quality inside your disposable vape, which is highly suspicious.

Another point to note is that producing devices and ejuice to such standards costs money for the manufacturer to do so. For example ejuice from leading world wide brands will have been made in an ISO 5 or higher clean room. This laboratory situation will cost a lot more to produce than in someone’s bathtub or large vat with no regulations in place.  Therefore the price of your end product will cost a certain amount of money.  A point to note is that as vape vendors we are continually being offered from Chinese companies very, very cheap disposable products which simply doesn’t add up in terms of quality production.

Did you know that the amount of nicotine you may have seen on the packet of your disposable vape that says 5% means they contain 50mg of nicotine!! This amount of nicotine is suggested ONLY for low powered devices, and ONLY for a highly dependent heavy smoker to assist in their transition from smoking to vaping.  The average nicotine percentage vapers use is 6mg. Therefore generally speaking, this is a crazy amount of nicotine designed to purely get you addicted to these low grade, high profit disposable vapes. Note, though, that to smuggle these products in such as the ‘Igets’ and the ‘Vuse’ disposable vapes, they have now removed that ‘5%’ off the side of the packaging.

To add, if you are still interested in these products, and are purchasing these online and importing them into the country for personal use, you must have a script to do so.

We’d like to add that there have been numerous examples of these low quality devices being pulled apart as we have done ourselves. It is often found that the standards they are built to seem very subpar, with battery acid found to be leeching into the ejuice. We’ve found the ejuice sitting in a wick attached to the bottom with glue, ( so the ejuice is sitting in with the glue), as well as mould. You just have no idea what you are actually inhaling! 

We’ve heard many people saying how these disposable vapes have helped them off the cigarettes and that they feel very satisfied. Well yes, that’s because they are consuming a crazy amount more nicotine that was ever in their cigarette.
The other thing we hear often, is how sick people feel after using them. Again, yes, they are consuming 50mg of nicotine and are probably feeling the effects of nicotine poisoning.

There are two different varieties of nicotine available for you to mix into your Ejuice flavours.

1. NIC SHOTS:
These are pre-measured nicotine in a small 10ml bottle that is ready to be added to your 60ml e-juice bottle to achieve your desired strength.

To Add:
You simply remove the lid of e-juice bottle and pour in the pre-measured nicotine. Shake well and it is now ready to vape.

2. CONCENTRATED NICOTINE:
This would be a 100ml/100mg, unflavoured nicotine liquid, which requires you to calculate the correct volume to be added to your e-juice bottle. This method is more cost effective but requires some extra supplies in terms of DIY Syringes.
PLEASE NOTE: It is important to mix the correct amount to avoid nicotine poisoning.

To Add:

If you are adding the 100mg nicotine, use a nicotine calculator to calculate how much nicotine to add. Then remove the lid of your e-juice and add the specified ml amount directly into the bottle with a syringe. Squirt your nicotine in to your 0mg flavoured ejuice, then shake really well for a good 20 – 30 seconds and vape.

You might need to tip out a few mls of your flavour to fit the nicotine in the bottle. 

Accuracy is paramount when it comes to mixing nicotine for multiple reasons. First of all, it ensures that you are only running as much nicotine as planned but it also ensures that you are going to have a consistent and reliable experience with vaping so that your body is not fluctuating with the levels of nicotine that you are consuming.

It is imperative that nicotine is kept out of reach of children and pets at all times. 

Nicotine is a poison and must be handled with care. The intake of high enough concentrations of nicotine through ingestion, inhalation or absorption through the skin can cause poisoning & sickness, and in extreme cases even death. Be responsible, and follow safety & handling tips to help limit your risk.

Although this seems counter intuitive, nicotine isn’t inherently dangerous when used, mixed, and stored correctly.

Mix (if using nicotine concentrate) or add (if using nic shots) in a well ventilated area, always use rubber gloves, measure with disposable syringes and if spills or drips occur clean it up immediately. The nicotine is water soluble and easy to clean away. 

Do not smell, sniff, drink or misuse nicotine in anyway other than to add into your e-juice. 

Measure your nicotine correctly, never eyeball or guess the ml’s you think might work, as you could poison yourself.  Always use a calculator if mixing concentrated 100ml/100mg nicotine.

You must be over 18yrs old, to purchase nicotine, (and any vaping equipment).

Store your nicotine in the freezer, in a secure bag and out of reach of children. This will extend the shelf life of the nicotine. Nicotine doesn’t freeze, it just gets very cold and thick. In the freezer it will last a few years.

Nicotine is a natural product and needs to be stored under certain conditions to extend its life and avoid quality degradation. Over time nicotine can turn a variety of colours (including but not limited to yellow, pink, brown and even a bluish green color) and develop a distinctive smell and peppery taste. There are several factors that can cause the degradation of the nicotine, the main ones being oxidation, UV light and heat.

PG is the better base to purchase your nicotine in because as well as lasting longer than nicotine suspended in VG, it will stay thinner and is easier to work with.

Find our nicotine calculator here