Vaping products in Western Australia

Vapes can only be legally supplied in Western Australia from a registered pharmacy. This includes vaping substances, accessories and devices (with or without nicotine).

Non-pharmacy retailers, such as tobacconists, vape shops, online stores and convenience stores, cannot store, sell or supply any type of vaping product.

In Western Australia, the maximum penalty for possession of a large commercial quantity of illicit vapes is $4.2 million for an individual or $21 million for a company. People involved may face up to 15 years in prison.

Vapes for smoking cessation, or managing nicotine dependence continue to be available from pharmacies if they meet Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) regulatory requirements. This includes:

• flavours limited to mint, menthol and tobacco
• plain pharmaceutical-like packaging

Note: Disposable vapes cannot be supplied, regardless of whether they include nicotine.

Western Australian law requires nicotine vapes only to be supplied with a prescription from a registered medical practitioner. Pharmacists in WA cannot supply nicotine vapes over the counter without a prescription, regardless of the nicotine concentration.

Relevant legislation:

• Tobacco and Other Products Control Act 2006 (WA) (external site).
• Therapeutic Goods Act 1989 (Cth) (external site)
• Medicines and Poisons Act 2014 (WA) (external site)

The Department of Health enforces WA’s laws on vaping products. You can report a person or a business to:

Tobacco and Vape Regulation Directorate Report.TVRD@health.wa.gov.au

We keep your details confidential and only share them when we need to by law, or with your consent. We may share information you give us with other agencies to coordinate and resolve issues.  

We cannot provide feedback on the progress or outcomes of investigations. If any further information is needed, we will contact you.

Second-hand vape emissions are known to contain harmful chemicals, increase levels of fine and ultrafine particulate matter, and impact indoor air quality.

In Western Australia, vaping is banned anywhere smoking is prohibited. This means all smoke-free public places both indoors and outdoors are also vape-free.

• Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) Supporting smoking cessation: Guide for health professionals (external link)
• Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) Professional practice guidelines for pharmacists: Nicotine dependence support (external link)
• Smoking and vaping cessation resources
• Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) Vaping Hub (external link)