Community & Business
27 September, 2024
Tough new laws on vaping
TOUGH new laws to crack down on the illicit supply of tobacco products and vapes have been passed in State Parliament.
Queensland retailers who illegally sell cigarettes or vapes will now face jail terms, steeper fines, and extended closures.
The amendments to the Tobacco and Other Smoking Products Act 1998 allow for tougher penalties including up to two years’ imprisonment and/or court penalties up to $322,600 for an individual, or $1.6 million for a corporation.
Queensland is the first state to introduce strict new closure powers that allow authorities to close a business for up to six months if they continue to sell illicit tobacco or vape products or operate without a smoking product licence.
This means Queensland’s illicit tobacco and vaping enforcement framework is now streamlined so that supply and possession offences exist under a single piece of legislation.
A licensing scheme to further regulate the sale of smoking products took effect this month, with unlicensed businesses facing court penalties of up to $161,300 for an individual, or $806,500 for a corporation. To date, over 4,750 licences have been granted.
