Australia Softens Prescription Mandate

Australia will soften a proposed ban on vaping following opposition from the Greens party, leading the government to agree to revise a bill that would have limited vapes to those with a doctor’s prescription.

The agreement between the ruling center-left Labor Party and the Greens will lead to the passage of legislation later this week that restricts the sale of vapes to pharmacies and removes them from retail shelves. This move is aimed at curbing the rise in youth vaping.

However, the bill falls short of the government’s initial ambition to restrict sales only to those with a doctor’s prescription, which would have been a world first. The amended bill will take effect on July 1, reports Reuters.

Under the compromise deal, vapes will be moved “behind the counter” in October. Customers will need to have a conversation with the pharmacist before making a purchase, and those under 18 years old will need a prescription.

Health Minister Mark Butler said in a statement that the government “welcomed constructive engagement with the crossbench and secured the support of the Greens for our world-leading vaping laws.”

The Labor Party does not have a majority in the upper house and must negotiate with other parties and independent senators to pass legislation.