Guide · Australia

What is Vaping?

A vape (e-cigarette) heats liquid into an aerosol you inhale. Most contain nicotine. Here's what's actually in them, how they work, and where Australian law sits in 2026.

How an e-cigarette works

Inside every vape there are four parts: a battery, a heating coil, a wick, and a tank or pod of e-liquid. Press the button (or inhale on a draw-activated device) and the coil heats the liquid to about 200°C. The liquid becomes an aerosol — not steam — that you breathe in.

What's in the e-liquid

  • Propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerine (VG) — the base liquid.
  • Nicotine — usually as nicotine salt, which delivers a faster, stronger hit than freebase nicotine.
  • Flavourings — food-grade additives. Safety inhaled (rather than eaten) is still unclear.
  • Trace contaminants — formaldehyde, heavy metals from the coil, and ultra-fine particles, especially in cheap or modified devices.

Nicotine strength: why modern vapes hit so hard

A single disposable pod can contain the nicotine of 20–50 cigarettes. Nicotine salts let you inhale much higher doses without throat burn, which is why people get addicted faster than to cigarettes — including teenagers who've never smoked.

The 2024 Australian rules (still in force 2026)

  • Nicotine vapes are pharmacy-only. You can buy them from a pharmacy at 18+ without a prescription (most states).
  • Higher strengths and customised devices still need a GP script.
  • Flavoured disposable vapes sold outside pharmacies (convenience stores, vape shops, online) are illegal.
  • Importing nicotine vapes from overseas without a script is illegal.

Vaping vs smoking

No combustion = no tar, no carbon monoxide. UK regulators estimate vaping is around 95% less harmful than smoking. But "less harmful than the most harmful consumer product ever sold" is not the same as "safe" — especially for non-smokers.

If you don't smoke, don't vape

Every Australian health body agrees: vaping is for adult smokers trying to quit, not for non-smokers. Long-term effects on lungs, heart and brain are still being researched.

Already vaping?

See the real effects of vaping and our how to quit vaping guide. If you're vaping and smoking, prioritise quitting the cigarettes first — that's where the biggest harm reduction sits.