The South Australian Government will spend more than $16 million over the next four years to stifle the growing illegal tobacco and vape market and help keep the products out of young people's hands.
From July 1, Consumer and Business Services (CBS) will take on responsibility for licensing of tobacco and vapes - currently undertaken by SA Health - and enforcement relating to their sale and supply,
An additional 20 full-time equivalent employees will be recruited to join CBS to help cover everything from licence applications, to responding to consumers and inspecting premises.
SA Health will retain both its role in formulating policy in relation to vaping and tobacco, as well as enforcement functions relating to the use of cigarettes and vapes, such as smoking and vaping in public places.
The crackdown comes as SA Health launches a new campaign featuring young people who have had first-hand experiences with the harmful effects of vaping.
The Every vape is a hit to your health campaign, designed by the Cancer Institute NSW, is targeted specifically at 15 to 25-year-olds who currently vape and those who might be at risk of future uptake.
According to the 2022-2023 Australian secondary students’ alcohol and drug survey, more than a quarter of students in South Australia had used e-cigarettes - up from 8.9 per cent in 2017.
Chief Public Health Officer Professor Nicola Spurrier said everyone needed to play a role to keep these harmful and often illegal products out of the hands and lungs of our young people.
"The large surge in vaping in recent years at both a state and national level is a major public health concern, and I am very pleased that further decisive action is being taken to help stop an epidemic of vaping and nicotine addiction among our youth,” Professor Spurrier said.
“SA Health’s Public Health Division has to date been the lead agency in tobacco compliance and enforcement, but we are facing increasing challenges in managing the sale and supply of illegal tobacco and vaping products.
“We are very pleased to now be partnering with Consumer and Business Services, whose skilled officers will be backing enforcement efforts at the supply chain level.”
Vapes contain hundreds of harmful chemicals, heavy metals and toxins such as formaldehyde, arsenic and lead. These ingredients can cause cancer, heart disease and lung damage.
Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine, with known harms of vaping including nicotine addiction, breathlessness, and symptoms of nicotine poisoning such as vomiting, nausea and diarrhoea.
Earlier this year, a raft of new outdoor vape and smoke-free areas were introduced, including near beach jetties and patrol flags, schools, kids’ sporting events and shopping centre entrances.
On-the-spot fines of $105 and prosecution penalties of $750 apply for people caught smoking or vaping in the prohibited areas.
For more information on vaping, young people can visit bevapefree.sa.gov.au
