A tobacconist in Kiama has felt the wrath of the NSW government’s new laws after being found to have breached the Public Health (Tobacco) Act 2008 for the sale of illicit tobacco.

Located at the western end of Terralong Street, the tobacconist is one of 10 stores across the Illawarra, Shoalhaven and Riverina regions which have been shut down for 90 days and a bright yellow sticker affixed to their shopfront after being found in breach of NSW Health guidelines.

Health Minister Ryan Park said this action was part of the government’s efforts to “disrupt the supply of illicit tobacco and illicit vaping goods to protect public health across NSW”.

“My message to retailers selling illicit tobacco or vapes is stop it now. If you’re doing the wrong thing, sooner or later we will come for you,” he said.

“This will take some time as we ramp up our closure activities, but this is just the beginning, and we want to reassure the community that we are targeting those retailers doing the wrong thing.”

NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant believes the new measures are a step in the right direction.

“The new penalties and closure powers are an important step forward in reducing the appeal and availability of these products,” Dr Chant said.

“Tobacco use remains one of the leading causes of preventable death and disease in our community. 

“The new closure powers are another key tool to ensure we act swiftly and gain stronger oversight of the illicit tobacco and illegal trade to help protect public health.”

The new closure order powers in NSW started on 3 November which allows NSW Health to issue a short-term (up to 90 days) closure order for premises selling illicit tobacco, illegal vaping goods or selling tobacco or non-tobacco smoking products without a valid licence.

The Centre for Regulation and Enforcement in NSW Health has a statewide team with the equivalent of 48 full-time staff which has conducted more than 1260 retailer inspections this year.

During this period, NSW Health has also seized more than 11.8 million cigarettes and 2000 kg of other illicit tobacco products, along with 170,000 illegal vaping goods with a combined estimated street value of around $18.9 million.

With under-age vape use on the rise, research from the 2022-23 National Drug Strategy Household Survey suggests that the reasoning from teenagers is different to older age-groups.

“Curiosity was the most common reason for vaping among people aged 14-17 (74%) and 18-24 (68%),” a report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare said.

The tobacco store which is located at 140 Terralong Street is closed for 90 days and can reopen on 17 February.

For concerned members of the community, NSW Health encourages the reporting of suspected breaches of tobacco retailing laws and the illegal sale of vaping on the NSW Health website. 

The closure order affixed to the tobacconist on Terralong Street in Kiama. Photo: The Bugle