4500 vapes seized in crackdown on illegal vaping products
Thousands of illegal vaping products have been seized and 12 businesses hit with fines in an eight week crackdown on retailers illegally selling vaping products containing nicotine.
SA News
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More than 4500 illegal vapes have been seized and 12 Adelaide businesses slapped with fines during a targeted crackdown on illegal nicotine sales.
Brands of seized vapes were found to contain alarming levels of nicotine, including one which had the equivalent of at least three cigarette packets in one vape.
Inspectors discovered some retailers attempting to conceal illicit products, including one trying to hide nicotine vapes in empty pizza boxes.
They also found novelty vapes including one shaped like a drink cup with the straw acting as the mouthpiece.
During the eight-week blitz, 207 inspections were carried out across 180 businesses in metropolitan and outer Adelaide.
Fifteen were found to be selling illegal nicotine vapes including six in the CBD.
Twelve businesses were fined, including nine for a breach of licence conditions through the sale, supply or possession of nicotine vapes ($500), and three for the sale of e-cigarettes while unlicensed ($1000), which were also found to contain nicotine.
One formal caution was issued and a final determination is yet to be made on two businesses.
A total of 4907 vapes were tested with nearly 93 per cent (4536 vapes) found to contain nicotine, worth an estimated street value of more than $113,000.
One business alone was caught with 2013 illegal vapes — this retailer was unlicensed and discovered after a tip-off from the public.
The two-month SA Health blitz on e-cigarettes ended on September 1.
Businesses inspected included convenience stores, service stations, supermarkets, tobacconists, and vaping speciality stores.
Health Minister Chris Picton has warned that vaping has become a looming health crisis.
“I am especially worried about the trend of young people getting hooked on vapes and the impact on their health and wellbeing,” he said.
“We are taking strong action to protect the community from the dangers of nicotine vapes, by stamping out the sale of illegal products, and imposing tougher penalties for those caught selling them.”
SA Health, Health Protection and Regulation Executive Director, Dr Chris Lease said most businesses are “doing the right thing and have either ceased selling vapes or have taken the necessary steps to ensure that their vape products are nicotine-free.”
Chief Public Health Officer Professor Nicola Spurrier has also voiced concerns, calling the situation “a critical public health problem.”
“Vaping increases the risk of serious health outcomes including addiction to nicotine, serious harm to the lung, and is a risk of poisoning, especially in children,” she said.
“Vapes don’t just release nicotine and water vapour – research has found they also contain a complex cocktail of chemicals – all of which may cause harm.”
Under regulations from July 10 the onus is on retailers to prove their vapes do not contain nicotine regardless of the packaging claims.
Laws introduced in October 2021 classify nicotine vaping products as prescription-only medicines and prevent the sale of nicotine-containing e-cigarettes without a prescription.
Retailers face fines of up to $20,000, seizure of stock and revocation of licences if selling vapes containing addictive nicotine.
Originally published as 4500 vapes seized in crackdown on illegal vaping products
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