Department stores and pharmacies want to sell sexual wellness devices like vibrators. But in some states it's illegal

In a prime position on the busy ground-floor perfume section of a Melbourne department store is a small box. Key points: Products used for sexual pleasure, like vibrators, are being sold in chemists and department stores across Australia In NSW just displaying or advertising them could lead to a jail term of up to a year The legislation effectively bans the sale of such items except in 'adult' stores that are subject to severe restrictions around location and public access Selling the same product in Sydney could see the company fined and its staff jailed for up to a year. "We don't believe it belongs in specialty stores," says Julia Marget, co-founder of Vacation Vibes, a brand which produces devices for sexual pleasure. Break any of Section 578E of the Crimes Act 1900 — "offences relating to advertising or displaying products associated with sexual behaviour" — and you face serious consequences. Adult stores have these "extra hoops" to jump through, which makes Mr Dunne's members unhappy as pharmacies and department stores muscle in on a lucrative part of the market, and do so without the restrictions.