Smoking reforms
As of 1 July 2025, all tobacco products sold in Australia must comply with new tobacco laws.
These laws introduced changes to reduce the appeal of cigarettes and other tobacco products, ensure the harms of smoking are clear, and help make it easier for people to quit.
Tobacco products now:
- Taste and feel different – certain ingredients, flavours (including menthol, rum and clove) and accessories (including crush balls) are banned. These mask the harshness of tobacco, make it more addictive, easier to smoke and harder to quit.
- Have different names – words like ‘smooth’ and names like ‘gold’ – that can falsely suggest some products are less harmful – are now removed.
- Are consistent in size – each cigarette pack has 20 sticks, filtered or little cigar packs have 20 cigars, and roll-your own pouches have 30 grams of tobacco. Each cigarette carton has 10 packs.
- Are consistent in shaper and filter – each cigarette stick is the same length and width. Unique filters are banned.
- Have new health information and support to quit – packaging and products have updated health warnings and messages. New information cards inside packaging help to support people to quit.
The new Public Health (Tobacco and Other Products) Act 2023 started from 1 April 2024. The same bans that apply to tobacco advertising and sponsorship apply to vapes.
Find more information on the changes to tobacco products and on tobacco advertising bans.
Learn more about tobacco control measures.
Vaping reforms
Since 1 July 2024, it has been illegal for retailers, such as tobacconists, vape shops and convenience stores, to sell any type of vape or vape product.
Vapes and vape products can only legally be sold in pharmacies.
People 18 years and older can buy vapes from participating pharmacies with a nicotine concentration of 20 mg/mL or less without a prescription, where state and territory laws allow.
They must talk with the pharmacist before purchasing. This includes:
- discussing the product and dosage
- discussing other options to quit smoking and/or manage nicotine dependence
- providing identification (for proof of age purposes only).
Only one month’s supply can be purchased over the course of one month.
People under 18 years need a prescription to access vapes, where state and territory laws allow, to ensure they get appropriate medical advice and supervision.
People who need vapes with a higher concentration of nicotine than 20 mg/mL also need a prescription, regardless of their age.
Flavours are restricted to mint, menthol and tobacco, and vapes must adhere to plain pharmaceutical packaging standards.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration is implementing most of these changes. For more information, see the Vaping Hub.