A public tipoff has led to a South Australian business being caught selling 2,013 illegal vapes, with a blitz on unlicensed dealers also uncovering dozens of nicotine vapes hidden in empty pizza boxes.
Results of an eight-week blitz across metropolitan and outer Adelaide that led to more than 4,500 illegal vapes being taken off the streets were announced by Health and Wellbeing Minister Chris Picton this morning.
One brand discovered by officers had the equivalent of at least three cigarette packs of nicotine in one vape.
Twelve businesses were slapped with fines, with nine having to pay $500 for breaching licence conditions in selling, supplying, or possessing nicotine vapes and three fined $1000 for unlicensed selling of e-cigarettes that were also found to contain nicotine.
Picton said 4,907 vapes were seized, with an estimated street value of more than $113,000, with some brands containing alarming levels of nicotine.
“Vaping is a looming health crisis that should ring alarm bells for all of us,” Picton said.
“I am especially worried about the trend of young people getting hooked on vapes and the impact on their health and wellbeing.”
Picton said 207 inspections were carried out across 180 businesses from July 10 to September 1, including at the business where vapes were found hidden in a pizza box.
Another handed over a vape targeted at children that was shaped like a drink cup with the straw acting as a mouthpiece, a novelty sample given to the business encouraging it to buy more of the same.
Chief public health officer Professor Nicola Spurrier warned that vaping increases the risk of serious health outcomes including addiction to nicotine, serious harm to the lungs, and a risk of poisoning especially in children.
“Vapes don’t just release nicotine and water vapour – research has found they also contain a complex cocktail of chemicals, all of which may cause harm,” she said.
The blitz comes after new conditions were set earlier this year making it illegal to sell e-cigarettes containing nicotine.
These are interim measures as the Federal Government works through its plan to stop the importation of non-prescription e-cigarettes and the banning of vapes in retail settings and disposable vapes.
Health protection and regulation executive director at SA Health Dr Chris Lease said most SA businesses had stopped selling vapes or taken measures to ensure their vape products were nicotine-free.
“The South Australian community has also played a big part in helping us to confront this concerning issue by reporting businesses suspected of doing the wrong thing,” he said.
Lease said SA Health would now assess compliance with nicotine vaping licence conditions as part of routine inspections to ensure businesses met obligations.