Govt cracking down on illegal vapes

The seizures bring the total amount of illegal product seized since July 1, 2020 to more than $3 million.
NSW Chief Health Officer, Dr Kerry Chant said retailers were being put on notice, “if they are acting illegally, they will face the consequences”.
“We are cracking down on the illegal sale of nicotine e-cigarettes and liquids and taking a zero-tolerance approach to those who sell them,” Dr Chant said.
“NSW Health regularly conducts raids on retailers across the state to protect young people from these harmful devices.
“You will be caught, illegal items will be seized, and you could face prosecution, resulting in being fined or even jailed.”
Ms Chant said the harmful impacts of vaping on young people cannot be underestimated. “People think they are simply flavoured water but in reality, in many cases they are ingesting poisonous chemicals that can cause life threatening injuries,” she said.
Since October 1, 2021, products containing nicotine are only available for people over the age of 18 when prescribed by a medical practitioner for smoking cessation purposes. These products are only available from an Australian pharmacy or via importation into Australia with a valid prescription.
For all other retailers in NSW, the sale of e-cigarettes or e-liquids containing nicotine is illegal. This also includes online sales. The maximum penalty for illegally selling them is $1,650 per offence, six-months in prison or both, under the Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Act.
Retailers and individuals can also be prosecuted for selling e-cigarette products to minors, with fines up $110,000.