Retailers still pushing banned liquid nicotine products
Victorian retailers are flouting the law to sell illegal poisonous e-cigarette products under the counter or over the internet, despite risking fines of up to $16,500.
VIC News
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Illegal liquid nicotine is being sold throughout Melbourne despite a host of laws banning the poisonous e-cigarette products.
In frustration at inaction by government authorities, Quit Victoria last week visited several CBD stores to purchase alleged black market nicotine before reporting the outlets to Victoria Police.
They found retailers potentially thumbing their noses at the law to such an extent one had a glass display case promoting alleged liquid nicotine products that could attract fines of up to $16,500 each.
While the sale of liquid nicotine is illegal in Australia, the products remain widespread in Victoria due to under-the-counter sales and products purchased over the internet.
The Senate this month passed a motion to toughen its stance and ban imports.
But Quit director Sarah White said attention also needed to focus on enforcing laws.
“These stores are not dodgy $2 shops. They are franchise operations and they are operating with absolute impunity,” Dr White said.
“It was ridiculously easy to get. We simply walked in and said we wanted to purchase an e-cigarette for a friend and it was handed over with absolutely no questions asked.
“By refusing to give a register receipt we can only assume they know what they are doing is wrong.”
Already this year the Victorian Poisons Information Centre has dealt with six reports of liquid nicotine poisonings. In 2019 there were 41 such cases, up from just 21 in 2018.
A Victorian 18-month-old boy died in June 2018 after drinking liquid nicotine his mother had bought to vape.
Although Coroner Phillip Byrne last year found legalising liquid nicotine with tamper-proof packaging could cut the risks of other deaths, he stopped short of making any recommendations into the highly complex “conundrum”.
Victoria Police confirmed an investigation into allegations of liquid nicotine being sold in the Prahran area was ongoing.
When the Herald Sun visited the stores in Prahran identified by Quit, a staff member at one shop was packing products into boxes. He said he could not sell liquid nicotine after receiving a council warning that day.
“We just had the council come in and tell us all that stuff needs to go,” he said.
A man behind the counter at another store told the Herald Sun he “sometimes” sold vaping nicotine.
But he said an employee at a nearby store had told him inspectors were in the area.
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