The criminalisation of nicotine vaping risks “unintended consequences” including fuelling the black market, causing worse health outcomes and even potentially putting people in prison when we should be trying to keep them out, the Australian Alcohol and other Drugs Council (AADC) says.

It is an offence in all states and territories to supply a nicotine vape to someone without a prescription, and to either possess or use one without a prescription.

Despite the restrictions, nearly one million Australians now regularly vape, double the number in 2019-2020, according to the Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA). An estimated 11% of 16-to-24-year-olds are regularly vaping, PHAA said.