Elizabeth Watson-Brown (Ryan, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I'll make some points of clarification here. The Greens have negotiated amendments to the Therapeutic Goods and Other Legislation (Vaping Reforms) Bill 2024 and will support the legislation's passage through the Senate, as we have been doing. As a result of the Greens' negotiations, we've secured significant changes to the government's prescription-only legislation, which risked criminalising—this is a really important point—people for possessing vapes for personal use.

The changes: firstly, vapes will be available from a chemist as a schedule 3 pharmacist-only medication for adults over 18 years old, rather than require a prescription from a GP. These will be plain packaged and properly regulated vapes. Data of vape purchases will not—this was critical for us—be recorded. Secondly, GPs can continue to prescribe therapeutic vapes, and a prescription will be the only pathway for vapes for people under 18 if they're deemed clinically appropriate. Thirdly, possession of personal-use quantities of any form of vape will not be subject to criminal charges. This was a particularly important point for us. There will be an eight-month personal possession amnesty period. Commercial quantities sold by retailers other than pharmacies will be unlawful. Fourthly, as this is world-leading legislation, there will be a review of this legislation after three years—another critical point. There will be an expanded disposal framework via pharmacies. There will be stronger regulations around advertising to healthcare professionals. Additional funding will be announced to support young people quitting vaping.

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