20/09/2024
The Federal Government’s world-leading vaping laws have been reinforced by strong action from the Malinauskas Government with $16 million invested in a new taskforce within Consumer and Business Services designed to detect and disrupt the supply of unlawful vapes.
More than 3,500 vapes have been seized through the efforts of SA enforcement officials since 1 July 2024 with more than 200 inspections, 450 tip offs and a series of raids conducted.
The total value of the illicit product seized including vapes and illegal tobacco in South Australia is approximately $680,000.
Sustained action at the border to seize illicit vapes continues to be backed by strong collaboration between the Commonwealth and states and territories across Australia.
Across the country more than 5.2 million illicit vapes and vaping products have been seized so far this year. Of these, more than 2 million vapes have been seized since the commencement of the new vaping laws on 1 July 2024.
This week further raids will be conducted by SA enforcement officials, officers of the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), officials in the Northern Territory and Western Australia, along with other states, to target those seeking to profit from the unlawful supply of vapes.
The TGA is also taking action in relation to unlawful advertising of vaping goods.
Since 1 July 2024, 118 warnings have been issued to advertisers illegally promoting vaping goods and since the start of the year more than 8,000 requests to remove unlawful advertisements have been made to digital platforms and a further 58 websites have or will be blocked from public view for non-compliance.
These actions reduce the ability of businesses to promote unlawful vapes to the community.
Joint Commonwealth and state and territory enforcement activity is being supported by the government’s Business Surrender Scheme.
The scheme enabled businesses to surrender specified quantities of vaping goods that were lawful prior to 1 July 2024 but are no longer lawful following the commencement of the Therapeutic Goods and Other Legislation Amendment (Vaping Reforms) Act 2024 on 1 July 2024.
The scheme, which has now closed, saw SA businesses seeking to comply with the new legislation by surrendering vaping goods to the TGA. This initiative will facilitate the removal of thousands of unlawful vapes from the SA community.
For further information on this story, please click here.