Quitting Smoking or Vaping with Telehealth: Support and Australia’s Vaping Laws

If you want to quit smoking or vaping, a telehealth GP can help you make a plan, discuss quit medicines and prescribe treatment if clinically appropriate, all by phone or video. It’s also worth knowing how Australia’s vaping laws work: since 2024, vapes can only be sold in pharmacies, and they’re regulated as therapeutic products to help people quit smoking or manage nicotine dependence.

This article covers how telehealth fits into quitting, what the vaping rules mean for you and how to get help to stop vaping.

How telehealth can support quitting

Quitting is usually more successful with support than on your own. A telehealth consultation can be a practical way to get that support:

• No travel or waiting room, which helps if you live in a regional area, work long hours or care for others.
• Time to plan. Your GP can talk through your smoking or vaping history, triggers and past quit attempts.
• Treatment options. Your GP can discuss nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) and other quit medicines, and prescribe treatment if clinically appropriate, with an eScript sent to your phone.
• Follow-up. A quick check-in a few weeks after your quit date can help you stay on track or adjust your plan.

Telehealth works well alongside other support, such as Quitline (13 7848), a free phone counselling service.

Australia’s vaping laws in brief

Vaping laws changed during 2024. According to the Department of Health:

• Pharmacies only. Vapes can only be sold by pharmacies. It’s illegal for tobacconists, vape shops, convenience stores and other retailers to sell any type of vape.
• Adults 18 and over can buy a therapeutic vape with a nicotine concentration of 20 mg/mL or less from a pharmacist without a prescription. You’ll need to speak with the pharmacist and show ID, and supply is limited to one month at a time.
• A prescription is needed for nicotine concentrations above 20 mg/mL, and for anyone under 18 where it’s clinically appropriate.
• Flavours are limited to mint, menthol and tobacco, and vapes must be in plain pharmaceutical packaging.

The aim of these laws is to make vapes available to help people quit smoking, not as a lifestyle product.

Are vapes a good way to quit smoking?

Some people use vapes to help them stop smoking, but vapes aren’t recommended as a first-line quit option. The long-term health effects of vaping aren’t known, and many vapes sold illegally have contained nicotine even when labelled nicotine-free. healthdirect’s guide to quitting smoking and vaping recommends trying proven options first, such as behavioural support combined with NRT or other quit medicines.

If you do use a vape to stop smoking, the goal is to stop smoking completely and then plan to stop vaping too. Using both at once (dual use) doesn’t give you the same health benefits as quitting smoking.

Quitting vaping

Vaping can lead to nicotine dependence, and quitting can bring similar withdrawal symptoms to quitting smoking, such as cravings, irritability, poor sleep and trouble concentrating. These usually ease within a few weeks. Things that can help:

• Choose your approach. Some people stop on a set date. Others cut down gradually with a plan.
• Know your triggers, such as stress, boredom, alcohol or being around others who vape.
• Consider NRT. If you’re dependent on nicotine, a doctor or pharmacist can advise whether NRT could help you manage cravings.
• Get support. Quitline counsellors can help with vaping as well as smoking.
• Look after yourself. Regular exercise, sleep and meals can make withdrawal easier.

Young people and vaping

Under-18s can’t buy vapes, but many young people already vape and find it hard to stop. If you’re a parent, talk openly and without judgement, and encourage your teenager to see a GP. Young people can also call Quitline for support.

What to expect in a telehealth quit consultation

1. Your GP asks about how much you smoke or vape, when you started and what’s happened in past quit attempts.
2. They check your general health, including your heart, lungs, mental health and any medicines you take.
3. Together you agree on a plan, which may include a quit date, NRT or another quit medicine, and Quitline support.
4. If treatment is appropriate, your eScript is sent to your phone so you can collect it from a pharmacy.
5. You arrange a follow-up to see how you’re going.

Some things may still need an in-person visit, such as a persistent cough, chest symptoms or other problems that need a physical examination.

When to see a doctor in person or get urgent help

See a GP in person if you have a cough that won’t go away, are coughing up blood, are short of breath or are losing weight without trying.

Call 000 or go to your nearest emergency department if you have chest pain, severe shortness of breath, or sudden weakness, numbness or trouble speaking. If a child may have swallowed vape liquid, call the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26, or 000 if they’re unwell.

How Teldoc can help

Our AHPRA-registered GPs can help you quit smoking or vaping by phone or video, 7 days a week from 9 am to 7 pm (Sydney time). Most patients are seen within 15 minutes. Consultations are $55 on weekdays and $75 on weekends and public holidays. See our fees page, read more about our quit smoking support or see our article on the benefits of quitting smoking and your options.

Frequently asked questions

Can I buy a vape without a prescription in Australia?

Adults 18 and over can buy a therapeutic vape with a nicotine concentration of 20 mg/mL or less from a pharmacy without a prescription, after speaking with the pharmacist. Higher strengths, and supply to under-18s, need a prescription.

Can I still buy vapes from a tobacconist or vape shop?

No. Since 2024, only pharmacies can sell vapes. It’s illegal for any other retailer to sell them.

Is vaping a good way to quit smoking?

Vapes aren’t recommended as a first-line quit option because their long-term safety isn’t known. Behavioural support combined with NRT or other quit medicines is recommended first. Talk to a doctor about what suits you.

Can a telehealth GP help me quit vaping?

Yes. A GP can help you make a quit plan, discuss whether NRT or other treatment could help and prescribe if clinically appropriate, with an eScript sent to your phone.

Is Quitline only for smokers?

No. Quitline (13 7848) is a free service that also helps people who want to stop vaping.

This article is general health information and isn’t a substitute for advice from your own doctor. If you’re worried about your health, speak to a GP. In an emergency, call 000.

Medically reviewed by Dr Vafa Derakshan (MBBS, FRACGP), September 2026