If you’ve ever gone to a local vape shop to look for disposable vapes, there’s a good chance that you came away disappointed because you weren’t able to find a device that contained nicotine. That’s because Australia has some of the world’s most unusual vaping regulations – and if you’re not familiar with how those regulations work, this article will clue you in. Disposable vapes with nicotine are legal to buy and own in Australia, but regulations require you to import them from overseas if you want to use a device that contains nicotine.
As you’re about to learn, the best disposable vapes in Australia aren’t actually sold in Australia at all. Instead, they’re sold by overseas vape shops like Cloud City in the UK.
Here’s how the process works.
How to Buy Disposable Vapes in Australia
Nicotine is a controlled substance in Australia, and that’s why our country’s vaping regulations are unique. The only exceptions to that rule are traditional tobacco products like cigarettes and approved therapeutic nicotine products like nicotine gum. Novel nicotine products like e-liquids with nicotine fall under the controlled substances rule and aren’t available from traditional retailers – but you can still buy them. Here’s how.
You Need to Obtain a Prescription
Before you buy any vaping product with nicotine, you need to obtain a prescription from a doctor. That’s because, although nicotine is a controlled substance in Australia, the law carves out an exception for cases in which people require nicotine for therapeutic use. As a smoker, you have a therapeutic requirement for e-liquid with nicotine since you want to use it to help yourself quit smoking. You simply need a prescription from a doctor to verify that fact.
Australia’s vaping laws have been in place for a while now. Doctors are generally aware of what vaping is and are supportive of the role that it can play in tobacco harm reduction. If your doctor is unaware of vaping or doesn’t want to write a prescription, you can refer them to the Australian Tobacco Harm Reduction Association (ATHRA) for more information. ATHRA also maintains a list of vaping-friendly doctors, which you might find useful if you don’t get anywhere with your regular doctor.
You Need to Import from an Overseas Vendor
The second part of Australia’s vaping regulations states that, once you have a prescription, you can obtain vaping products with nicotine either by importing them from an overseas vendor or by going to a compounding pharmacy. We’ll discuss the second option in a moment – but if you want to buy disposable vapes in Australia, your only option is to import them because pharmacies don’t carry disposable vapes. You can order disposable vapes from whatever overseas vendor you choose. The most popular vape shops for Australian vapers tend to be located in New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Europe. Some vendors will ask for a copy of your prescription and will include it with your order to ensure that it gets through customs quickly. If you buy from a vape shop that doesn’t request a copy of your prescription, you should bring your prescription when picking up your order in case a customs agent asks you to present it.
Compounding Pharmacies Can Also Make E-Liquid
As we mentioned above, it is also possible to buy e-liquid with nicotine locally by bringing your prescription to a compounding pharmacy. Pharmacies, however, don’t sell vaping hardware and will not have disposable vapes available. A compounding pharmacy can only make e-liquid for use in a refillable vaping device – and not all pharmacies will have the necessary ingredients for making e-liquid. Still, this might be an option worth exploring if you eventually decide that you’d like to switch from disposable vapes to a refillable device.
What Are the Features of the Best Disposable Vapes?
Now that you understand how to buy disposable vapes in Australia, it’s time to learn about the features that you should look for when you buy. These are the four features that the best disposable vapes will always have.
High Nicotine Strength
If you’re using a disposable vape to help yourself quit smoking, you’ll want to use a device that mimics the nicotine delivery of a tobacco cigarette as closely as possible. If you get about the same nicotine per puff from vaping that you’d get from smoking, you’ll feel satisfied and shouldn’t have too much trouble controlling your cigarette cravings. Start with the highest nicotine strength available and adjust the strength down if necessary.
High Puff Count
Before you choose the disposable vape that you want to buy, take a look at the puff count on the front of the page. That’s the approximate number of puffs that you’ll get from the device before it requires replacement. You can think of every 200 puffs as being approximately equal to a pack of cigarettes. Plan your purchase accordingly because if you’re importing disposable vapes from overseas, you’ll probably need to wait a few days before the products arrive. It’s always a good idea to buy a disposable vape with a high puff count.
Sleek, Discreet Design
Although it’s great to have a disposable vape with a high puff count, it’s also a good idea to consider the physical design of a device before buying it. It’s likely that your disposable vape will go everywhere with you, just like the pack of cigarettes and lighter you’re carrying now. Make sure that the device is small enough to fit in your pocket and light enough to carry comfortably.
Wide Variety of Flavours
One of the greatest things about vaping is the fact that it tastes so much better than smoking. Every cigarette in the world tastes like a cigarette, but an e-liquid can taste like almost any dessert, drink, fruit or candy that you can imagine. When you find the e-liquid flavour that’s perfect for your taste, it’s an absolutely magical experience that can make you forget about cigarettes forever. When you buy disposable vapes for the first time, look for a brand that offers a wide flavour selection and make sure that your first order includes several different flavours. That’ll give you the best chance of finding something you love right from the start.