SA Police, SA Health face call to cough up illegal vape sales figures

E-cigarettes with nicotine in them are supposed be illegal, but the Sunday Mail had no trouble finding them in Adelaide shops.

Authorities have failed to point to anyone being caught breaking the state’s vaping laws, despite a Sunday Mail investigation finding illegal vapes are readily for sale in convenience stores.

Since 2019, it has been illegal to sell vapes to children in South Australia, while sales of vapes containing nicotine are banned altogether.

But neither SA Police nor SA Health would release information on how many fines had been issued or arrests made.

It follows the Education Department revealing there had been more than 350 suspensions of students this year alone for vaping-related issues.

The Sunday Mail had no problem finding e-cigarettes containing nicotine for sale in t CBD convenience stores, which generally ask for cash payment.

E-cigarettes come in a range of fruity flavours, attractive to teenagers. Picture: Denis Charlet/ AFP

Young people have reported receiving discounts for buying multiple vapes at once in city shops.

The Cancer Council says vaping risks include acute lung injury, poisoning, burns and seizures.

Professor Billie Bonevski, from Flinders University, has called for transparency over how many people were being caught selling e-cigarettes, particularly to minors.

“That would help us understand, from a public health perspective, why we need to intervene and develop enforcement strategies to make it less easily accessible,” she said, adding vaping was a gateway to tobacco smoking.

SA Secondary Principals Association chief executive Jayne Heath said authorities should be visiting shops to ensure the ban on selling vapes to minors was enforced.

SA Secondary Principals Association chief executive Jayne Heath. Picture: AAP/Keryn Stevens

An SA Police spokesman said SA Health staff were the “regulators of the act” governing vape sales.

“Whilst SAPOL are authorised under the act, SA Health are the responsible body for providing any information relating to offending relating to this act,” he said.

The spokesman said any statistics relating to offences handled by police would only be available via a Freedom of Information request.

SA Police later clarified that officers were are able to take action when offences were detected. “However, where the offending involves a business, SA Police work collaboratively with SA Health on these investigations,” a statement said.

SA Health said it took the lead in “regulating the sale and supply of retail tobacco and e-cigarettes”, while police fined businesses and individuals breaking the law.

A spokeswoman said selling to minors carried a maximum penalty of $40,000 or two years’ jail.

Upon further inquiries by the Sunday Mail, SA Health said it had undertaken 506 inspections of premises selling tobacco and e-cigarettes over the past year.

But it could not say how many were “proactive” and how many relied on public tips.

“Ultimately, as with other trades, it’s the responsibility of owners and operators of businesses ... to ensure that they are fully aware of and compliant with all state and federal laws,” a spokeswoman said.

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