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Cigarettes
Traditional Smokeless
HTP
E-cigarettes
Snus
Pouches
NRT
Australia Background
Profile
Australia Flag
Cigarettes
Traditional Smokeless
HTP
E-cigarettes
Snus
Pouches
NRT
Data sourced: 2024.   Page updated: 2025-11-05

In Australia, e-cigarettes are banned for general retail sale but regulated as medicinal products. So, therapeutic vapes with nicotine concentrations of 20 mg or less can be accessed only with a prescription and purchased through pharmacies. It is not legal to buy or sell e-cigarettes online, and there is a comprehensive ban on advertising. In 2022, there were an estimated 517,900 current vapers in Australia. The adult current e-cigarette vaping prevalence was 2.5%, while the adult daily vaping prevalence was estimated to be 3.5% in 2023. Additionally, 8.8% of adults stated they had ever tried e-cigarette vaping as of 2016. A 2017 survey by Hua-Hie Yong et al, found that 54.1% of respondents perceived e-cigarettes as not harmful or less harmful than cigarettes, 9.1% believed they were equally as harmful, 0.4% thought they were more harmful, and 36.5% reported that they did not know. Overall, Australia maintains a highly restrictive regulatory environment for e-cigarettes, focusing on medical supervision, while limiting public access and commercial promotion.

Prevalence

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Year Value Reference/Comment
2016 1.2% 1A A
2022 2.5% 1B B
2023 7% 1C
References:
  1. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2017. National Drug Strategy Household Survey 2016: detailed findings. Drug Statistics series no. 31. Cat. no. PHE 214. Canberra: AIHW
  2. WHO. WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic, 2023. Available at: https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/country-profiles/tobacco/gtcr-2023/tobacco-2023-aus.pdf?sfvrsn=9523b70c_3&download=true. Accessed: 4 August 2025.
  3. National Drug Strategy Household Survey 2023 cited in WHO. (2025). WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco use 2000–2024 and projections 2025–2030 (6th edn). World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240116276
Comments:
  1. Current use includes people who reported vaping daily, weekly or less than weekly, mothy or less than monthly. Data is for persons aged 18 and over and includes smokers and non-smokers.
  2. Adults survey: National Health Survey, 2021-22; National, ages 15+
6.2%
1
2023
7.8%
1
2023
3.5%
2 A
2023
8.8%
3 B
2016
References:
  1. National Drug Strategy Household Survey 2023 cited in WHO. (2025). WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco use 2000–2024 and projections 2025–2030 (6th edn). World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240116276
  2. Australian Government: Australia's health 2024: data insights: Electronic cigarette use (vaping) in Australia in 2022–2023. Available at: https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-health/vaping-e-cigarettes. Accessed: 23 July 2025.
  3. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2017. National Drug Strategy Household Survey 2016: detailed findings. Drug Statistics series no. 31. Cat. no. PHE 214. Canberra: AIHW
Comments:
  1. An estimated 700,000 people
  2. Current use includes people who reported vaping daily, weekly or less than weekly, mothy or less than monthly. Data is for persons aged 18 and over and includes smokers and non-smokers.

Product promotion

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Year Value Reference/Comment
2017 or earlier Yes A
2019 Yes 1A
References:
  1. Tobacco Control Laws. Legislation by Country/Jurisdiction Australia. Available at: https://www.tobaccocontrollaws.org/legislation/australia/e-cigarettes?row=1341301. Accessed: 24 July 2025.
Comments:
  1. Banned at place of sale and banned in all media.
Yes
A
References:
  1. Tobacco Control Laws. Legislation by Country/Jurisdiction Australia. Available at: https://www.tobaccocontrollaws.org/legislation/australia/e-cigarettes?row=1341301. Accessed: 24 July 2025.
Comments:
  1. Allowed or banned at place of sale or allowed or banned in all media.

Regulation

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Year Value Reference/Comment
2017 or earlier Banned A
2024 Banned 1B A
References:
  1. Data cross-referenced where possible using the following sources :1. Vapetrotter website. Available at: https://www.vapetrotter.com/laws/ ; 2. Global tobacco control website. Available at:https://www.globaltobaccocontrol.org/node/14052 ; 3. Tobacco Control Laws website. Available at : https://www.tobaccocontrollaws.org/legislation/
  2. 1. Australian Government. Changes to the regulation of vapes. Available at: https://www.tga.gov.au/products/unapproved-therapeutic-goods/vaping-hub/changes-regulation-vapes. Accessed: 23 July 2025. 2. Anti Smoking Global Index. Vaping Products. Available at: https://antismoking.global/world-map. Accessed: 22 July 2025.
Comments:
  1. Rules on e-cigarette vary by state. Devices are available legally for sale but not nicotine liquid unless on prescription. Although nicotine liquid cannot be sold in Australia it is available via personal importation and online sales. Although technically legal to import , it is illegal to take possession unless a prescription is obtained and importation criteria met.
  2. Disposable vapes are banned while therapeutic ones are not.
Yes
2 B
Yes
2 B
References:
  1. 1. Australian Government. Changes to the regulation of vapes. Available at: https://www.tga.gov.au/products/unapproved-therapeutic-goods/vaping-hub/changes-regulation-vapes. Accessed: 23 July 2025. 2. Anti Smoking Global Index. Vaping Products. Available at: https://antismoking.global/world-map. Accessed: 22 July 2025.
  2. Data cross-referenced where possible using the following sources :1. Vapetrotter website. Available at: https://www.vapetrotter.com/laws/ ; 2. Global tobacco control website. Available at:https://www.globaltobaccocontrol.org/node/14052 ; 3. Tobacco Control Laws website. Available at : https://www.tobaccocontrollaws.org/legislation/
Comments:
  1. Disposable vapes are banned while therapeutic ones are not.
  2. Rules on e-cigarette vary by state. Devices are available legally for sale but not nicotine liquid unless on prescription. Although nicotine liquid cannot be sold in Australia it is available via personal importation and online sales. Although technically legal to import , it is illegal to take possession unless a prescription is obtained and importation criteria met.

Availability

References:
  1. 1. Australian Government. Changes to the regulation of vapes. Available at: https://www.tga.gov.au/products/unapproved-therapeutic-goods/vaping-hub/changes-regulation-vapes. Accessed: 23 July 2025. 2. Anti Smoking Global Index. Vaping Products. Available at: https://antismoking.global/world-map. Accessed: 22 July 2025.
  2. Anti Smoking Global Index. Vaping Products. Available at: https://antismoking.global/world-map. Accessed: 22 July 2025.
Comments:
  1. Therapeutic vapes (with concentration: 20 mg or less) for smoking cessation and management of nicotine dependence are available in pharmacies and can be bought if they meet regulatory requirements.

Regulations and restrictions

Perception of harm

References:
  1. Hua-Hie Yong, Ron Borland, James Balmford, Sara C. Hitchman, K. Michael Cummings, Pete Driezen, Mary E. Thompson, Prevalence and Correlates of the Belief That Electronic Cigarettes are a Lot Less Harmful Than Conventional Cigarettes Under the Different Regulatory Environments of Australia and the United Kingdom, Nicotine & Tobacco Research, Volume 19, Issue 2, 1 February 2017, Pages 258�263,
Comments:
  1. *Survey included smokers and ex smokers only. 2014 data. 35.2% believed e-cigarette are a lot less harmful, 4.5% unsure how much less harmful, 14.4% 'a little' less harmful. (54.1% total )
The GSTHR database is updated regularly by our team. However, please be aware that the information we provide does not constitute legal advice. We cannot guarantee that the information is up to date or accurate, as the regulatory status of different product categories can change at short notice and with little publicity. If you wish to check the legal status of use or possession of any safer nicotine product in a specific country or region, you should verify the information independently. If you have reason to think that the information supplied on the GSTHR is inaccurate, please contact us with details and any references and we will rectify any errors.