Product and Retail Code of Conduct
The Responsible Vaping Australia movement is seeking to work collaboratively with all levels of government.
On this page, you’ll find our policies on the responsible supply of non-nicotine vaping products sold to adult vapers in Australia. The Code of Conduct policies are intended to set out best practice standards that are being voluntarily adopted by RVA supporters. These policies cover:
- Youth access prevention to stop underage sales.
- Adult-targeted product design and packaging.
- Clear labelling.
- Strong product standards.
- Consumer protections.
Our approach:
- Retailers to ensure vaping products are not sold to children, by requiring proof of age for those who appear to be under 25.
- Retailers to provide youth access prevention training every six months to all customer-facing staff.
- Retailers to restrict the positioning of vaping products in stores so they cannot be accessed by children.
- Suppliers to ensure that vaping products are packaged in tamper-evident packaging where appropriate.
- Retailers and suppliers must ensure the packaging, labelling and design of vaping products do not include any images of cartoon characters or children’s toys.
- Suppliers to ensure vaping products have retail packaging with a clear and prominent warning statement providing that the product is only to be used by persons over the age of 18 years.
- Suppliers to ensure that the labelling of a vaping product is accurate as to its contents and ingredients. In particular, a vaping product labelled as non-nicotine (or an equivalent description) must in fact contain no nicotine.
- Suppliers to ensure packaging and retail labels contain warning statements to keep products out of reach of children, clear and prominent allergen warnings if applicable and appropriate directions for use.
- Suppliers must only use an ingredient as a flavouring in an e-liquid product where that ingredient is a permitted flavouring substance.
- Retailers and suppliers to ensure vaping devices are compliant with applicable electrical safety standards under Australian law.
- Retailers and suppliers to ensure that e-liquid products do not contain any ingredient that:
- Is classified as carcinogenic or is known to cause genetic mutations, reproductive toxicity, or respiratory allergies when inhaled; or
- Is prohibited from use in any liquid formulations intended for use in a vaping device by the Australian Government (including but not limited to vitamin E acetate and diacetyl).
- Suppliers must ensure vaping products are of acceptable quality in accordance with the Australian Consumer Law. This means that they are safe, lasting and with no faults, they match the descriptions on packaging and labels, and they comply with consumer guarantees.
- Suppliers must offer a product return service and refund policy for damaged or faulty goods.
- Suppliers must ensure retailers and consumers can easily contact a customer service representative to obtain information in relation to the vaping products and exercise their rights under Australian Consumer Law.
- Suppliers must hold sufficient supporting evidence to substantiate any label or marketing claims made in relation to vaping products, such as the number of sessions per charge, the number of puffs per cartridge, the charge time or the quality of an ingredient, and ensure that those claims are not misleading in any way.