Perth vape store up in smoke after outrage from community

Parents were left outraged after a store called Tobacconist Discount Cigarettes and Vapes opened just a stone’s throw from an Aussie Primary School.

Outraged at ‘vape store’ 200m from school

The new owner of a Subiaco shop that was selling cigarettes and vapes less than 200m from a local primary school says he would “never” sell the products under its rebrand as a convenience store.

Families have fumed in the weeks since the store called Tobacconist Discount Cigarettes and Vapes opened at the corner of Rokeby Road and the Postal Walk around the corner from Subiaco Primary School, PerthNow reports.

PerthNow is aware the store was selling colourful nicotine vapes under the counter — an act which is illegal in WA and could come with a fine of up to $45,000 for an individual.

In July, the same storefront caused community angst when a machine gun-shaped bong was spotted through the window.

This week, tobacconist signs at the store were removed by Tuesday lunchtime and replaced with new signs of a similar design, which renamed the shop Convenience Store, selling gifts, accessories, drinks and confectionery.

Convenience Store owner Ramez Dayoub told PerthNow he had taken over the store last week and didn’t know the previous owner.

He said he did not have any involvement with the previous business, strongly denied the store was selling vapes and said he “will never be”.

The owner of this Rokeby Road store says it will not be selling vapes. Picture: Supplied/ PerthNow

“In this area it doesn’t need that; whoever put the sign up as a tobacconist — that was very stupid, honestly,” he said.

“Not in Subiaco and you have got the school around the corner from the shop too. I don’t think it was a good idea.”

Mr Dayoub said he understood the community concern about vape sales and he was working to reopen the venue with a completely new concept.

The City of Subiaco had started compliance action against the previous tobacconist store and involved the Department of Health’s Tobacco Control branch because the business was considered a restricted premises use under the city’s local planning scheme.

“Which means it has not been permitted in the City of Subiaco since 2020,” City of Subiaco chief executive Colin Cameron said.

Just last week Federal Curtin MP Kate Chaney came out in support of concerned parents, launching a petition calling for stronger action from the State and Federal Government to shut down such stores.

“A vape purchased from the Rokeby Road store last Thursday was covered in colourful cartoons and had fruit flavouring,” she told PerthNow this week.

“These types of products are clearly being marketed towards teenagers and children. Having these products available 100 metres from Subiaco Primary School is unacceptable.

“I also hope other convenience store owners have noted the strong community reaction and stop illegally selling vapes.”

The owner of this Rokeby Road store says it will not be selling vapes. Picture: Supplied/ PerthNow

Australian Council on Smoking and Health co-chief executive officer Laura Hunter said they became aware of the store earlier this month and notified the council and Department of Health.

Ms Hunter said despite WA having some of the toughest e-cigarette laws in the country, vape stores were continuing to open and more needed to be done to stop them.

“These retailers absolutely know that they are selling an illegal product,” she said.

“We as ACOSH and as part of a united public health coalition want to see them shut down and it would absolutely make sense to shut them down because they are selling an illegal product.

“But the reality of the law and how that works is different.

“What we do know is that our legislation here in WA absolutely needs to be modernised to enable a very quick and a strong response to things like this.”

According to a Department of Education fact sheet, research showed that 13.5 per cent of school students aged 12-17 have tried an e-cigarette.

Ms Hunter said vapes could contain more than 200 toxic chemicals.

“They’re very cleverly disguised by flavours like unicorn milk, fairy floss and passionfruit ice and they are marketed to (school aged students) relentlessly via social media,” she said.

“And when you see them 100 metres from a school, it just sends so many red flags.

“It’s completely inappropriate and it’s not a coincidence.

“What we’re seeing is quite a strong push by the tobacco industry to really addict a whole new generation of people to nicotine and to their products and it’s just unacceptable.

“So it’s a huge issue, it’s a huge health concern and definitely the City of Subiaco can be implementing some strong action in this area as well.”

The latest figures from WA Health reveal it has seized 390,653 nicotine vapes from across the State.

More than 300,000 of these vapes were seized as part of a record-breaking bust from a Perth warehouse earlier this month.

In WA, it is an offence to manufacture, supply, possess or sell a product containing nicotine without a doctor’s prescription.

Under the Medicines and Poisons Act, companies face a maximum penalty of $225,000, while individuals could be fined up to $45,000.

This article originally appeared in PerthNow and was reproduced with permission