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Top doctor Kerry Chant has declared a war on illegal vapes with more than $1million worth of e-cigarettes and liquids seized this year.
The NSW chief health officer said she was taking a ‘zero tolerance approach’ to vapes containing nicotine being illegally sold in stores.
‘[NSW Health is] cracking down on the illegal sale of nicotine e-cigarettes and liquids and taking a zero-tolerance approach to those who sell them,’ she said.
Top doctor Kerry Chant has declared a war on illegal vapes with more than $1million worth of e-cigarettes and liquids seized this year (pictured, a woman smoking an electric cigarette)
The NSW chief health officer (pictured in April) said she was taking a ‘zero tolerance approach’ to vapes containing nicotine being illegally sold in stores
Retailers have been put on notice and warned they will be punished with heavy fines or jail time if they breach regulation.
‘You will be caught, illegal items will be seized, and you could face prosecution, resulting in being fined or even jailed,’ Dr Chant said.
More than $3million worth of illegal vapes and vaping products have been seized in a series of raids since July 1, 2020.
Individuals facing an $11,000 penalty for the first offence and a $55,000 fine for the second while corporations will be forced to pay $55,000 the first time and $110,000 the second.
Dr Chant said too many young people were not aware of the true nature of vapes and simply believed they were ‘flavoured water’.
She said they actually contained chemicals that were so poisonous they could inflict life-threatening injuries on the smoker.
More than $3million worth of illegal vapes and vaping products have been seized in a series of raids since July 1, 2020 (pictured, a display of flavoured electric cigarettes)
Teenagers have been warned about the dangers of vapes after research showed young people thought vaping was a healthier alternative to smoking cigarettes (pictured, a vape pen)
Teenagers have been warned about the dangers of vapes after research showed young people thought vaping was a healthier alternative to smoking cigarettes.
NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard launched the anti-vaping campaign after research found ‘more and more young people (are) using vapes’.
The government and NSW Health are ‘very concerned about the impact of those vapes on young people’s lives, particularly on their lungs’, he said on Tuesday.
Global research indicates young people commonly think vaping is a healthier alternative to smoking.
Mr Hazzard said vaping damaged adult lungs and caused more concern for developing lungs in teenagers and children.
The minister told a parliamentary hearing last week the thought of kids picking up the habit was ‘atrocious’.
The Get The Facts – Vaping Toolkit targets and students aged 14 to 17 and provides resources for teachers, parents and carers to start conversations about the dangers of vaping.
‘We know that amongst many young people, e-cigarettes or vapes have been considered safe and certainly safer than cigarettes,’ NSW Acting Chief Health Officer Marianne Gale said.
The combination of having a sweet or fruity flavour, being in attractive packaging and their ‘vapour’ often perceived as water, people often consider vapes harmless.
