Released 24/11/2022
The ACT Government is cracking down on e-cigarettes in the community with legislative changes to reduce availability and increase enforcement.
The Health Legislation Amendment Bill 2022, passed today by the ACT Legislative Assembly will ensure the ACT continues to take a strong approach to e-cigarettes with a number of consequential changes to legislation, including:
- Stopping the sale of e-cigarettes from vending machines;
- Enabling stronger compliance testing to enforce the prohibition on sale of e-cigarettes to people under the age of 18; and
- Extending therapeutic goods laws to enable action to be taken against sole traders
Minister for Health Rachel Stephen-Smith said the ACT Government has a strong commitment to treating alcohol, tobacco and other drug use as a health issue.
“The government is aiming to minimise the harm caused in our community from smoking and vaping, particularly for young Canberrans.
“Reducing supply is a critical component of minimising harm. Through these legal changes, ACT Government officials will have the ability to check if e-cigarettes are being sold to minors and to remove the ability for sale through vending machines.
“Last week I again raised at the Health Ministers’ Meeting the importance of a national ambitious approach to addressing the harm from e-cigarettes, and I will continue to advocate with my colleagues to drive national change.”
The changes in this legislation will also enable the Therapeutic Goods Administration to take enforcement action against sole traders, in addition to corporations to ensure that breaches of the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989, including action relating to sales of prohibited goods such as nicotine vaping products/e‑cigarettes.
The ACT Government will continue to work with all Australian governments on a coordinated national approach to significantly reduce the availability of these products.
Statement attributable to Dr Devin Bowles, CEO of the Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Association ACT (ATODA).
“Keeping e-cigarettes out of the hands of children and young people is one of the most important public health challenges of our time, and the community is up against powerful commercial interests. ATODA applauds these reforms to help prevent minors accessing e-cigarettes.”
- Statement ends -
Rachel Stephen-Smith, MLA | Media Releases