WA’s health department seized almost 200,000 vapes. But how many fines have been issued?
Health Minister Meredith Hammat declared Western Australia’s vape and nang crackdown a success in a budget estimates hearing on Tuesday, revealing the state had seized more than 190,000 vapes and had doled out $59,000 worth of fines for selling nangs.
The state has come under increasing scrutiny for its lack of enforcement of new rules governing the sale of nitrous oxide canisters and vapes that came into force over the past year and the proliferation of the products, which can cause serious injury to users.
No vape fines have been issues in WA.Credit: AAP
By May, the state had not handed out any punishment for selling nangs, but, following a 9News Perth investigation into the ready availability of the popular party gas from convenience stores and online providers, the Department of Health has issued 14 fines worth a combined total of $59,000.
“We’ve also been ramping up the inspections performed [on nang distributors], with 18 of them being undertaken just in June,” Hammat told the budget estimates committee.
On vapes, Hammat said since January 2024, the Department of Health had conducted 1600 inspections, resulting in 190,000 vapes worth about $5.8 million seized.
Hammat also revealed calls to the WA poisons hotline have been increasing.
“They’ve reported an increase in the number of parents calling their hotline concerned that their children have been exposed to vapes, and so I think that does reflect a growing awareness in the community about the harmful nature of vapes that parents are concerned about that,” she said.
But Hammat’s figures did not convince Nationals MP Lachlan Hunter, who queried how many fines had been dished out for selling vapes.
Chief Health Officer Andy Robertson said no fines had been issued, because the department didn’t have the required powers, but prosecutions were ongoing.
“There haven’t been any fines issued because under the act, there can’t, there are no infringement powers to issue fines for vapes, so they have to be taken to prosecution,” he said.
“So a number of prosecutions are in train at this stage. Other tobacco, illicit tobacco and nitrous oxide – we can issue infringements, and we have done so.”
Federal and state government regulations mean vapes can only legally be sold with a prescription at a pharmacy.
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