Nic imports to be banned in Australia

[DaveJ]

That vital part of vaping - Nicotine - is now going to be much harder to obtain for all Australians.

To date, Australians have relied on a small but significant loophole in law that allowed us to privately import Vaping Nicotine for use in E-Cigs. Whilst it has not been encouraged by those who govern, it was used to circumvent law that made sale or supply of nicotine within Australia illegal. The loophole was based on an exception that allowed importing against a Doctors prescription. 

From 1st July that will cease. Our national Health Minister (Greg Hunt) is seeking approval to close and trap all imports of Liquid Nicotine at the boarder. Heavy fines will apply.

See:

velvetgloveironfist.blogspot.com/2020/06/australia-to-ban-e-cigarette-imports.html

www.athra.org.au/blog/2020/06/19/government-announces-major-crackdown-to-effectively-ban-nicotine-imports/

www.legalisevaping.com.au/media-releases/faceless-bureaucrats-announce-vaping-ban-to-take-effect-from-july-1

vaping360.com/vape-news/103802/australia-will-shut-down-imports-of-nicotine-for-vaping/

From all reports I've seen to date, including pages from our own TGA (Therapeutic Goods Administration), it seems the only legal way for Vapers to obtain vaping nicotine after 1 July will be to:

* Convince a medical doctor to write a prescription for your use, and

* Have the doctor arrange the import of the liquids for you. <== This bit is important. It will no longer be legal to privately import "against" a doctor's script and there are no supplies of the liquid nicotine within Australia for compounding chemists to make up your script locally.

Of course - that means flavours and "DIY" are out the window.

*sigh*

What can I say?

[Perpetua]

Jun 20, 2020 5:55:32 GMT DaveJ said:

 

Of course - that means flavours and "DIY" are out the window.

*sigh*

What can I say?

Not a lot Dave, other than to rant and curse at the complete stupidity of this proposed legislation - absolute madness, which certainly isn't in the best health interests of any Australians!

Stock up while you can, I'm using base which has been in the freezer for 9 years now, it appears to be as fresh as the day it went in. That is assuming your overseas sources are still getting through and can continue to be ' creative '.

Expect to see a rise in smoking related diseases if this is passed . . . . .

[DaveJ]

Jun 20, 2020 6:40:22 GMT Perpetua said:

Not a lot Dave, other than to rant and curse at the complete stupidity of this

hehe - yeah. Can we both take it as a given that the ranting and raving is well underway here?

Jun 20, 2020 6:40:22 GMT Perpetua said:

...
Stock up while you can, I'm using base which has been in the freezer for 9 years now, it appears to be as fresh as the day it went in. That is assuming your overseas sources are still getting through and can continue to be ' creative '.

Yeah - I do have stash in the freezer (and echo your comments about it lasting well) but I have just ordered more which, hopefully, arrives before the cutoff else that's money done. Grapevine here says many vapers are doing likewise - orders left, right and center to both NZ and China.

As to "creative" sourcing - I'm not so sure about that in the near future. This little gem from the Govt closes what was our past "creative solution" to their "nic is banned" laws. Time will tell.

But yeah - this is terrible for those who:
* Have not stocked up, or
* might be up for a switch from smoking.


*sigh*

[Perpetua]

Jun 20, 2020 7:06:30 GMT DaveJ said:

 
Yeah - I do have stash in the freezer (and echo your comments about it lasting well) but I have just ordered more which, hopefully, arrives before the cutoff else that's money done. Grapevine here says many vapers are doing likewise - orders left, right and center to both NZ and China.

As to "creative" sourcing - I'm not so sure about that in the near future. This little gem from the Govt closes what was our past "creative solution" to their "nic is banned" laws. Time will tell.

But yeah - this is terrible for those who:
* Have not stocked up, or
* might be up for a switch from smoking.


*sigh*

It certainly is . . . . and far, far more draconian than what we have to contend with in the UK under the TPD - which is bad enough. 

Presumably you'll still be able to import ' plain ' VG and PG though? 

[DaveJ]

Jun 20, 2020 10:57:15 GMT Perpetua said:

...
Presumably you'll still be able to import ' plain ' VG and PG though?

Ah, well, yes. But the success of that will depend on just how well the boarder fellows take to looking for "contraband" nic. Or, perhaps, if they've been directed and funded to do so.

I'm guessing it might be like the current situation with other illegal imports (narcotics and such). None of those are properly labelled and the boarder guys go to some lengths to hunt it out. They certainly find some but not all of it coming in. AND, often, follow thro to charge those it is addressed to. Maybe nic importing will end up the same way.


Guess we'll see in due course.

On the strength of this, I've made nic orders from two different countries. With luck at least one will get thro before cutoff ... Covid mail delays notwithstanding ... *fingers crossed*

[DaveJ]

Some observations on the lunacy that is our current liquid nicotine situation.

In no particular order:

* A huge number of orders were placed by Australian vapers with off shore Nicotine liquid suppliers in both China and New Zealand. All placed orders hoping that they would be received and clear Customs before the 1 July deadline, and understanding that, if it arrived too late, it would be forfeit.

Comment - aside from the known suppliers in China, a number of Aussie Vendors have setup Vape shops in New Zealand. They did that so they could: a) trade within NZ, and b) take advantage of the NZ legal situation and export Nic liquids back to Aussie vapers.

* One such NZ Vendor (Vapour Eyes) posted that in one 24 hour period over this last weekend they received orders from 10,000 Aussie customers. TEN THOUSAND. And they are not the only NZ vendor with repute, and that excludes what happened in China. One well known Chinese Vendor was also swamped with Aussie orders - and they also stepped up big time to fill those orders. HiLiq - very recommended. I've seen second hand reports of the lengths some vendors went to to fill those orders.

* We all are now waiting for international delivery and passage thro Customs - with fingers crossed.

* The amount of Vaping Nic base being shipped into Australia over these few days defies my comprehension - plane loads of the stuff.

* Extra planes were chartered by TNT and DHL to carry all the extra orders.

* Mainstream Media in Oz has been slow to catch on. The Minister made the announcement (posted earlier in this thread) late on a Friday - a known method to minimise media attention. However, local Pro-vaping groups have been active and going as hard as they can.

* One NZ Vendor (Ex-pat Aussie "Mo", founder and owner of Vapour-Eyes, Aust and NZ) has just announced a legal challenge - from here: www.vapoureyes.co.nz/password - and as the text at that link will change soon, these are the words he's just posted:

It's time to FIGHT BACK.
TL;DR: We're taking massive legal action against the Australian government, and we need your help to make it happen.

In the next few hours this site will re-open and you'll have one final opportunity to stock up on nicotine juice before the ban takes effect. We've arranged a last-minute cargo flight from New Zealand to Australia that will depart on Sunday, which will be enough time for all parcels to be cleared through customs before the July 1 deadline.

This is the final push, our last ditch attempt to get as much nicotine into the hands of as many vapers as we can. This despicable ban will be devastating to hundreds of thousands of people in Australia, and we're committed to reducing the negative impact as much as we possibly can.

But here's the most important part:

We're going to use the profits from this last-minute sale to launch an all-out legal war against Health Minister Greg Hunt, the unelected anti-vaping bureaucrats in his department, and the Therapeutic Goods Administration.

We're aiming to raise $250,000 to fund a team of highly experienced barristers and experts on Australian constitutional law who can take this case all the way to the High Court of Australia.

We will not stop until this ******* ridiculous ban is overturned. We will not stop until the rights of every vaper in Australia have been fully restored. We will not stop until justice is done. We are not going to back down, we are not going to surrender, and we are not going to have any mercy. We're as mad as hell and we're not going to take it any more.

The sale will begin very soon, so check back here within the next few hours to ensure you don't miss out. Please spread the word on Facebook and Twitter so that every vaper you know has a chance to take part. Together we're going to teach the Australian government a lesson they won't soon forget.

 

We sure do live in interesting times.

As a vapor, New Zealand is sure looking good!

[DaveJ]

Yes! A win - at least in the short term.

Local vaping advocacy groups have been, errr, quite active. Harassing members of parliament - flooding their phone lines, twitter accounts and facebook pages. As a result, some members of Parliament have broken ranks and put pressure on Government over this decision. As a result, our Minister of Health has announced a 6 month delay to the impending ban's introduction:

Minister's Announcement

Not an overturning, mind, but it has bought some time.

[gill2009]

  Something at least...Phew 

[Perpetua]

Thank goodness for that Dave!

Hopefully some common sense might prevail during the next 6 months.

[DaveJ]

Yes Perpetua, it is good news.

It's allowed all those who ordered time for their gear to get thro, given plenty of notice for all to think about their stocks and given some politicans cause to pause and consider the ill feeling out there.

However, attentions are diverted - covid and all. This takes a backseat for many.

Maybe, with effort, their planned "way forward" may change into something more acceptable to vapers, maybe. But I'm not too hopeful. We are dealing with some very hardnosed pollies ...

[Perpetua]

Jun 27, 2020 2:16:24 GMT DaveJ said:

However, attentions are diverted - covid and all. This takes a backseat for many.

Maybe, with effort, their planned "way forward" may change into something more acceptable to vapers, maybe. But I'm not too hopeful. We are dealing with some very hardnosed pollies ...

Agreed Dave, but! it's not over until the fat lady sings as we say here . . . . make enough of a noise during this 6months stay of execution and who knows.

I'm a firm believer in people power, if vapers in Oz do everything absolutely possible during the coming months and still aren't successful in changing the minds of the law makers, then at least you've all tried your damnedest and can do no more than that.

This is terrible, terrible news for the health of Australia, absolute madness and I've said it before and I'll say it again . . . . it's totally beyond my comprehension that ecigarettes, have been so demonised and legislated against when vaping offers the most credible, more healthy alternative to tobacco smoking that exists and is ever likely to.

Like many of us, it's over 10 years since I smoked - could I have done this without vaping, no way - not in a million years!

Please do share any petitions that we can put our names to in support of Oz Vapers won't you.

We stand together against this lunacy . . . . .

[DaveJ]

Thanks Mandy.

It's hard to understand their attitudes. But we do have some time now, and much action is required. Hopefully *fingers crossed*

Jun 27, 2020 5:36:37 GMT Perpetua said:

...
Like many of us, it's over 10 years since I smoked - could I have done this without vaping, no way - not in a million years!

Near 7 years since my last smoke and, as you say - no way without vaping.

[thebishman]

Damn dave i got my fingers crossed for you mate

[DaveJ]

Earlier I mentioned I had done what many other Aussies had and that was to fire off orders for the "stash".

We all had done so hoping the shipments would make it thro before the Nic Ban Hammer fell.

A coupla days before the original Nic Ban date my shipment came in - both today.

There was this, from New Zealand

And another from those fine people at HiLiq in China.

I can say, from chatter on Aussie sites, many others are also seeing their orders arrive safely.

*happy dance*

[gill2009]

Jun 29, 2020 6:53:14 GMT DaveJ said:

Earlier I mentioned I had done what many other Aussies had and that was to fire off orders for the "stash".

We all had done so hoping the shipments would make it thro before the Nic Ban Hammer fell.

A coupla days before the original Nic Ban date my shipment came in - both today.

There was this, from New Zealand

And another from those fine people at HiLiq in China.

I can say, from chatter on Aussie sites, many others are also seeing their orders arrive safely.

*happy dance*

  Great news DaveJ