New Proposal in South Australia: Crack Down On Illegal E-cigarettes Or Ban Nicotine Bag Products

New proposal in South Australia: Crack down on illegal e-cigarettes or ban nicotine bag products

The South Australian government today proposed a new law to the state parliament, aiming to impose the country's harshest penalties on illegal tobacco and e-cigarette sales, the latest move by the government to crack down on the illegal tobacco and e-cigarette market and crimes against children.

 

According to miragenews on August 28, the South Australian government today proposed a new law to the state parliament, aiming to impose the country's harshest penalties on illegal tobacco and e-cigarette sales, the latest move by the state government to crack down on the illegal tobacco and e-cigarette market and crimes against children.

 

This new state law is in line with the strict national laws, prohibiting the retail supply of e-cigarettes or e-cigarettes, and further prohibiting the provision of prescription e-cigarettes to minors.

 

The new bill also includes the following:

 

Increased fines, up to A$1.5 million (about US$1.02 million) for certain e-cigarette violations;

Prohibit the sale of tobacco products through vending machines in public places;

Prohibit the supply of e-cigarettes to minors (even therapeutic e-cigarettes);

Power to ban new products as e-cigarette alternatives, such as nicotine pouches;

Establish a five-meter smoke-free buffer zone in covered public transportation areas;

Authorize controlled purchase operations to effectively monitor sales to minors.

 

Changes to penalties for corporate entities include:

 

Advertising tobacco products, first offence increased from A$10,000 to A$750,000, up to A$1.1 million for subsequent offences;
Unlicensed sales, first offence increased from A$20,000 to A$750,000, up to A$1.1 million for subsequent offences;

Sales to minors, first offence maximum fine of A$1 million, up to A$1.5 million for subsequent offences (previously A$20,000 and A$40,000);
Selling or possessing illegal tobacco for sale, first offence increased from A$50,000 to A$750,000, up to A$1.1 million for subsequent offences;
New offences of selling or possessing e-cigarettes or other prohibited products, up to A$750,000 for the first offence, up to A$1.1 million for subsequent offences.

 

It is reported that since July 1, the Department of Consumer and Business Services (CBS) has seized a total of A$285,000 (about US$190,000) worth of illegal tobacco, e-cigarettes and other tobacco products through a series of successful raids. To tackle this growing illegal trade, the government has invested an additional $16 million to establish a dedicated taskforce within the Department of Consumer and Business Services to strengthen enforcement of tobacco and e-cigarette product sales and licensing.

 

Data shows that between 2017 and 2023, the number of secondary school students who have ever used e-cigarettes increased from 13.5% to 29.9%. Among South Australians aged 15 to 29, e-cigarette use also increased significantly from 2.6% in 2014 to 8.4% in 2022, and almost doubled to 15.1% in 2023.

 

Marina Bowshall, interim CEO of Preventive Health South Australia, noted:

 

"Our consultation on this legislation showed that the community has significant concerns about the health effects of smoking and e-cigarettes, and strongly supports stricter regulation. Smoking has a tragic human cost and is a significant factor in cancer, stroke and heart disease, and is the leading cause of hospital admissions in Australia. The more we can help more people quit smoking and stop the increase in e-cigarette use, the healthier our communities will be."