New unit to crack down on illicit tobacco

A NEW statewide enforcement team has been set up to target illicit tobacco and vaping products in New South Wales.

The Centre for Regulation and Enforcement will have 48 staff working across metropolitan, rural and remote areas to coordinate compliance and enforcement of tobacco and vaping laws.

Health Minister Ryan Park said the new unit would support tough reforms that introduce some of the country’s harshest penalties for the sale and possession of illegal tobacco.

“This government has introduced some of the toughest illegal tobacco penalties in Australia,” Park said.

“The creation of this new centre will ensure we have the tools and capabilities to back in our tough new illegal tobacco penalties. This dedicated tobacco enforcement unit will centralise our personnel and resources to facilitate more coordinated and effective compliance operations right across the state.”

The unit will work with Border Force, police and the Therapeutic Goods Administration on intelligence sharing and joint operations. It will also support the work of the cross-agency Illicit Tobacco Taskforce.

New laws before parliament will give inspectors the power to close premises found in breach of the rules and create new offences for landlords who knowingly lease to illicit tobacco or vape suppliers.

The government’s new licensing scheme for tobacco products began on July 1, with penalties to take effect from October 1 after a three-month grace period.

Between January and June, NSW Health carried out more than 700 inspections, seizing more than 90,000 nicotine vapes and related products valued at $2.9 million, and more than 6 million cigarettes and 1,100 kilograms of tobacco products worth about $6.8 million. About 150 penalty notices were issued, totalling $316,000.