The Malinauskas Labor Government continues to take strong action against illicit tobacco and vapes in South Australia with seven stores hit with 28-day closure orders the past fortnight.

Under SA’s reforms, it is an offence to knowingly allow a premises to be used to sell illicit tobacco and vapes with penalties of up to $20,000 for an individual and $50,000 for a body corporate and we have empowered landlords to be able to terminate leases for shops subject to long term closure orders.

The Malinauskas Government has been relentless in its efforts to crack down on the sale of illicit tobacco and vapes with more than $34 million worth of product seized since 1 July last year.

The government has conducted more than 500 inspections and issued 44 short-term closure orders since those initial powers came into effect on 13 December.

Those penalties were strengthened on 5 June with the addition of 28-day closures.

Any business who violates such an order can be hit with a penalty of up to $1.1 million and an individual up to $700,000.

At the same time, new penalties of up to $6.6 million for supplying or possessing ‘commercial’ and ‘large commercial’ quantities of illicit tobacco came into effect.

“South Australia continues to lead the nation in our fight against illicit tobacco and vapes,” said Premier of South Australia, Andrea Michaels, adding that stores selling such products “pose significant risks to community safety and will not be tolerated in South Australia”.

“Anyone selling illicit tobacco and vapes in South Australia is on notice that you will be caught and closed down,” she said.

South Australia has the toughest penalties of any state or territory in relation to illicit tobacco and vapes.