Need some quick answers to get your vape up and running? Browse through our frequently asked questions (FAQs) about vaping. Here you will find answers to the most common electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) questions such as 'Why is my tank leaking?' and laws about nicotine in Australia. Please check this page periodically for updated or additional frequently asked questions.

Updated 18 Mar 2024 (Added update to vape petition status in 'What you can do' section.)

Below is a gist of the potential or enforced vape regulations the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), and The Minister of Heath and Aged Care released in late 2023, as we understand them. We are unsure if they will be enforced as presented as it depends on accompanying legislation to be passed for some of the changes. These law amendments are set to be introduced to Parliament in March.

We strongly recommend reading the information on the links at the end of this FAQ for more detailed information and the 'What you can do' section below that.

Things that haven't changed:

  • you still need a prescription to acquire nicotine-filled vapes or nicotine
  • it's still illegal to purchase vape products (with or without nicotine) if you're under 18 years old
  • selling nicotine or nicotine-filled devices is illegal in Australia unless you're a pharmacist.

Disposable vape import ban

According to TGA, as of 1 Jan 2024:

  • importing disposable vapes is banned, with or without nicotine, both by individuals (even with a prescription) and businesses
  • information has since been updated; now businesses can import disposable vapes if they hold an Office of Drug Control (ODC) permit and licence
  • you can continue to purchase our current stock of nicotine-free, single-use vapes until we're informed otherwise (legitimately nic-free; MSDS reports can be provided upon request)
  • all medical and nurse practitioners can prescribe therapeutic vapes; they no longer need to apply for authorisation to do so.

Reclassifying vapes

It appears that vapes have or will be re-classified as a therapeutic product. Originally, they were classified as a smoke product, placing them under the same regulations as tobacco. 

Non-therapeutic vape import ban

From 1 March, it is proposed that:

  • importing any non-therapeutic vapes will be banned (that's all vape devices, pods, e-juice etc without a licence, permit and notification to TGA by a business). See list of current notified vapes, made primarily by pharmaceutical companies, already received by TGA
  • vape stores can continue to sell vape products imported before 1 March so you can still purchase from our site while we have stock
  • vape products imported after 1 March (with licence etc) must comply with new TGA regulations and only be sold in a pharmacy
  • the personal importation scheme will end so ordering nicotine or any vapes from overseas, even with a prescription, will be banned, meaning you can only get nicotine or 'notified' vape products from an Australian pharmacy
  • there will be restrictions on flavours to mint, menthol & tobacco on products imported after 1 March
  • new device/e-liquid standards will apply to products imported after 1 March.

Retail vape sales ban

In late February, the Health Minister announced that the sale of vapes will be prohibited in Australia from 1 July, (assuming it means retail sale outside of a pharmacy) pending legislation that will be introduced to parliament in March, as this ban requires a change to the Therapeutic Goods Act that must pass through parliament.

If this legislation is passed, vape stores will no longer exist to supply vaping products directly to customers.

What you can do

  • Petition EN5905, requesting a repeal and review of the 1 March vape import ban, closed for signatures on 6 March and has now been presented to the House, waiting for the Minister responsible for the matters raised to respond.
    Over 28000 people signed the petition so we hope it impacts the Parliament's decisions on vape regulations.
  • Contact your local Member of Parliament and let them know what you think of the new vaping regulations, how they will impact you or what solutions you suggest instead. It may influence what legislation is passed. Legalise Vaping Australia has an easy way to do this.

More information

TGA & other gov info

Health practitioner sites

Vaping advocate sites

Latest news

Updated 10 Jan 2024 - depending on what is enforced in 2024, the below information may not be relevant/correct anymore.

Yes, you can vape and purchase vaping devices after 1 October 2021. Vaping, in general, has not been banned. None of our vape devices or e-liquid contain nicotine so you can still purchase from us if you're over the age of 18.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) states that e-cigarettes without nicotine will still be legal to purchase (or import) and use in Australia (depending on your state's vape laws). This part of the Australian vape law has not changed. See more information about nicotine e-cigarettes and how nicotine vaping laws have changed on the TGA website. The Australian Tobacco Harm Reduction Association (ATHRA) website also has information about vape laws.

From 1 October 2021, you will need a doctor's prescription to purchase nicotine locally or from overseas. This includes purchasing nicotine-pre-filled e-cigarettes and e-liquid that contains nicotine from overseas websites (since nicotine is illegal to sell in Australia unless it's from a pharmacy).

The Royal Australia College of General Practitioners has recognised vaping as an aid to quit smoking for people who are unable to quit using other treatments. You can acquire a nicotine prescription by:
- talking to your General Practitioner (GP). There is some helpful information specific for doctors on the health professionals page, requiring a log in, of the ATHRA website that you can politely recommend to your doctor. There is also information for prescribers on the TGA website
- checking out the list of Australian GPs who are informed about vaping on the ATHRA website which includes options of telehealth (video or phone) consultations to acquire a prescription.

Once you have your prescription, you can legally purchase nicotine liquid in the following ways:

1. Import it from overseas:
- Under TGA's Personal Importation Scheme you can import up to three months supply of nicotine e-liquid for personal use.
- The nicotine liquid must comply with the Therapeutic Goods (Standard for Nicotine Vaping Products) (TGO 110) Order 2021 that governs labeling, concentration and which potentially harmful ingredients should not be included.
- You must send a copy of your prescription to the supplier for them to include it in your order to avoid it being destroyed at the border or face penalties from Australian Customs.

2. Buy it from an Australian pharmacy:
- Australian chemists are able to sell commercial nicotine e-liquid if your doctor is an Authorised Prescriber.
- We are not sure how many Australian pharmacies provide this service as this may change over time.
- Nicotine products may need to be ordered by the pharmacy when you present your script or may be available in store.
- Compounding pharmacies can prepare custom nicotine e-liquid if your doctor is an Authorised Prescriber. The prescription will have to include what flavour (which may depend on the pharmacy's available flavours), propylene glycol (PG)/vegetable glycerin (VG) ratio and nicotine concentration you require.

We hope this helps but please also double-check with your local Australian state vaping laws.

Dirty tanks with build-up of old/burnt e-liquid can make you go through coils quicker.

Each vaper may do this differently but here's how we clean our tanks:

1. Empty the e-liquid from your tank and dispose of it.

2. Unscrew all components of the tank to pull it apart. Keep in mind some tanks have reverse thread (unscrews clockwise, like the Vaporesso Cascade Tank) and others need a special tool to unscrew them (like the Vaporesso VM Tanks). See your tank packaging for instructions.

3. Remove the coil and dispose of it. A clean tank requires a brand new coil which you can prime now in preparation (see our 'How to prime new coils' FAQ below).

4. Remove all the o-rings from the tank connections (small rubber rings). Each tank varies in number and placement of o-rings but the important thing is that you remember where they go so you can put it back together again. Maybe take a video or photos as you dismantle it.

5. Fill a small bowl with 1/3 white vinegar and 2/3 hot water.

6. Put all the tank components (without the o-rings as the vinegar can damage them) in the bowl. Let it sit until the water cools.

7. Take all tank parts out of the water, dry them off, replace the o-rings and put the tank back together.

8. Place new, primed coil in, fill with e-liquid and enjoy.

We hope your clean tank is vaperific! Please contact us if you have any questions.

It’s important to keep in mind that what may work for a friend may not work for you. 

E-cigarettes come in different sizes, power, styles with options to suit beginner, intermediate and advanced vapers, which is usually determined by how long someone has been vaping for. 

Knowing what device to start with means getting to know your specific needs and we can help you with that! Simply contact us and we can give you a personalised recommendation.

Priming essentially means to saturate a coil or pod so that you don’t vape on dry cotton. Doing so is called a dry hit, which tastes terrible and may burn your coil instantly. 

So here’s how you do it… 

Coil

1. Drop three to eight drops (depending on the coil size) of e-liquid onto the wicking material inside the coil head (not too much as this can flood it).

2. Allow drops to be soaked in and use the feed ports (wholes in the side of the coil that you can see the cotton through) to see when the cotton becomes saturated. When all feed ports are glistening, it’s good to go.

3. Place it inside your tank securely and fill the tank with e-liquid.

4. You can let the tank sit for a few minutes or set your device to the coil’s minimum heat setting (for example, if the coil can handle 30-80W (written on the coil or coil packaging), set your device to 30W).

5. Hold the fire button while gently blowing down the mouth piece/drip tip (that’s right, not drawing on the tank, but gently blowing air down the tank through the mouth piece). Once you can see that that tank is producing adequate vape with no gurgling sounds, priming is complete.

6. Enjoy!

Pod

1. Fill the pod with e-liquid.

2. Block the airflow with your finger/s (location of airflow is shown in your pod kit’s user manual).

3. Gently and with long draws suck on the mouth section of the pod about five to 10 times while blocking the airflow. You are basically drawing e-liquid to the internal coil of the pod and soaking the cotton.

5. Let it sit for a few minutes.

6. Enjoy!

When using an adjustable wattage device with a brand new coil or pod, we recommend that you prime coils first (see our ‘How to prime new coils or pods’ FAQ), then start at the lower end of the coil/pod wattage range. 

The wattage range is either on the coil/pod itself or on its packaging. So if it’s a 25–35W coil, start at 25W and then increase the wattage by 10% when you feel the need to go higher for either more throat hit or vapour. 

This will avoid burning your coil.

The short answer is NO! Compared to the highly-taxed tobacco products in Australia, vaping is generally 10% of the cost of smoking traditional tobacco cigarettes. 

This is because when vaping, you buy one device/kit which lasts you quite a while and then only buy replaceable components such as e-liquid or coils. 

Typically most vapers will have at least two devices at their disposal as, in our experience, you can never rely on just one form of electronics. Even then, it’s cheaper than smoking traditional cigarettes.

Simply put, no. Why pick up a habit when you don’t have one? 

We don’t recommend vaping for anyone other than people wanting to quit smoking cigarettes. 

Please note however that we are not saying e-cigarettes are a proven smoking cessation device, guarantee you will quit smoking nor that they are a completely safe alternative.

Under current Australian law it is illegal to distribute liquid nicotine. We do not sell products containing nicotine.

Your coil life will vary.

A lot of factors come into play regarding coil/pod life. Firstly, you should know when it's time to replace your coil or disposable pod:

- when you are no longer getting that crisp, awesome vapour flavour

- the vape draw is harsh or tastes burnt

- your tank or pod are excessively leaking

- the white cotton inside the coil looks black. 

Now here are things that can affect the life of your coil:

- E-liquid: Some flavour compounds can impact coil life; not any specific flavours but generally, the sweeter the e-liquid, the higher potential for build-up which can damage your coil.

- Power settings: Powering too high or too low can shorten the coil life. It’s best to find the wattage that best suits the coil or pod, device and your inhale. The specifications of coil and device power settings are a guide only. For example, you may find your combination of products (e-liquid, tank, coil and mod) works better at a lower setting than specified.

- Manufacturing: As most things are mass produced these days, it can lead to inconsistencies with coils. You may have done nothing wrong but still experience less coil lifespan.

- Improper priming: Priming your coil is very important to avoid burning. Follow our ‘How to prime new coils or pods’ FAQ steps prior to using your new coil.

- Vaping on empty: Letting your e-liquid level go very low or empty means you risk vaping on a dry coil that can instantly burn it.

See our operating hours on our Contact us page. 

We have a team of dedicated ‘vape workers’ on full time, Monday to Friday, during business hours, who reply to your enquiries, and pack and ship orders. After hours and on weekends you may experience some delays in responding to emails. 

Rest assured, we provide great customer service and are always happy to have vape conversations.

First things first: this answer is referring to:

- coils: also called atomiser heads and is the part that atomises your e-liquid to create vapour

- disposable pods: pods that have a built-in (non-replaceable) coil, meaning the whole pod is disposed when the coil reaches the end of its life.

Regarding when to replace either one, the bottom line is, if you wouldn't inhale air through a dirty car oil filter, then change your coils or disposable pods regularly, or as soon as they show signs of no longer vaping well.

Here’s how you know when to change a disposable pod or coil. If you answer yes to one or (god-forbid) more of the following, you know what time it is:

- Does your e-liquid change colour, looking like it has a hint of black death?
- Does your vape flavour taste like it may have been dipped in an ashtray?
- When you look down the drip tip/mouth piece of your tank or pod, is it as black as the vacuum of space?
- When you puff, does the tank or coil gurgle constantly like you're blowing bubbles in a milkshake?
- Do you cough after each vape like you’ve been in a coal mine for 50 years?
- When you remove your coil or disposable pod to inspect it, do you only see black and no white cotton material inside?
- Is your tank or pod leaking? (There could be many reasons why this happens, burned coils is just one of them. Read our FAQ on ‘Why is my tank leaking’ for more info.)
- Do you no longer get the same amount of vapour production?

There are reasons why each of these happen when your built-in or replaceable coil has reached the end of its short life but we thought we'd just give you the headliners. Maybe we'll follow up with a blog post for a more in-depth look.

There are mixed views on the side-effects of vaping a burned coil but we are going out on a limb to say that it can’t be good. Just keep an eye on it and if your vape tank or pod is not vaping or tasting like it used to, maybe it’s time to change the coil or replace the disposable pod. We definitely don’t recommend going a whole month without changing a coil or pod if you are a frequent, daily vaper.

Always feel free to contact us if you have any more questions about your coil, pod or tank misbehaving.

If a coupon code is not working on all or some of the products in your cart, it could be that the:

- coupon name is incorrect

- coupon has expired

- items in your cart are already on special or discounted, which are not usually included in our promotions.


These are the most common issues customers have. Please visit our Terms & Conditions page for more information about vouchers/coupons and contact us if you have any more questions.

Air breach…

Tanks rely on a vacuum to keep your e-liquid from flooding the coil. A breach in a seal can allow the slightest bit of air to enter and lose the vacuum built up. Infrequent use can also lose the vacuum built up and slowly allow leakage.

The following situations can result in air breach and cause your tank to leak:

- The coil or pod has reached the end of its usable life and simply needs replacing.

Solution: Replace the coil or pod.

- The tank has been screwed together incorrectly which can damage o-rings allowing for an air breach.

Solution: Check all tank connections and o-rings. Replace any damaged o-rings from the spare parts you receive with your device.

- The PG/VG ratio of an e-liquid may not suit your tank or coil. Most sub-ohm tanks prefer high VG levels (60%+) and will be more prone to leaking if the levels are lower.

Solution: Check the specifications of the device and the e-liquid ratios to ensure they are compatible.

- The power setting is too high or low for the specific coil.
Solution: Check the wattage required for the coil. You can find this engraved on the coil or on the coil box packaging. Adjust your device to suit the heat settings required.

- The coil may be loose. It may have been installed too loose or became loose due to heat expansion.
Solution: Check that the coil is screwed in securely.

- The coils may be unsuitable for the device. If the device is too powerful or not powerful enough, it can create an improper airflow through the coil, causing liquid build up.
Solution: Check the device specifications and ensure your coil matches its requirements. If not, replace it with a coil that is suitable.

- Insufficient airflow for a specific coil.
Solution: Coils that are higher wattage require more airflow. The amount of draw brought through the tank needs to suit the higher wattage requirements otherwise the coil will flood and leakage will occur.

- The coil/tank is not suited to your style of vaping. If you take smaller draws and mostly mouth-to-lung (MTL) instead of direct-to-lung (where you draw while inhaling) you will have trouble with leaking when using tanks like a Vaporesso SKRR-S, as they require constant high power and airflow to maintain a vacuum.
Solution: Monitor your style of vaping and change the device or tank you are using to suit. 

If you need any help with any of these issues or still have problems with your tank leaking after checking all of the above, please contact us and we’ll do our best to help you.