DR JOE WELCOMES TOBACCO STORE CLOSURES
The Independent Member for Wagga Wagga, Dr Joe McGirr, has welcomed the closure of two alleged illegal tobacco stores in Wagga as part of the state government’s new laws targeting illicit tobacco and illegal vaping.
The stores in the CBD were shut down for 90 days after raids last week.
The closures result from new powers given to NSW Health that enable short term closure orders on premises selling illicit tobacco, illegal vaping goods, or tobacco without a licence.
“I recently asked the Health Minister to facilitate investigations into stores that may be operating illegally in Wagga and I’m appreciative that NSW Health responded to my call, conducting raids with the support of police,” Dr McGirr said.
“I was the first member of the NSW parliament to push for a tobacco licensing system after being made aware of the growing problem of illegal tobacco by legitimate operators, and it’s pleasing to see major progress to stem the illegal trade in our community and across the state.
“Law-abiding traders are losing many thousands of dollars to illegal operators, with a growing involvement by organised crime raising significant concerns so the raids carried out in Wagga are very significant.”
The Local Court may, on application by the NSW Health Secretary, make a long-term closure order of up to 12 months if satisfied a relevant breach has occurred.
If an individual sells tobacco products, non-tobacco smoking products or vaping goods from closed premises they can be prosecuted and face a maximum penalty of up to:
For a first offence: 6 months imprisonment, a fine of $137,500, or both
For a subsequent offence: 12 months imprisonment, a fine of $275,000, or both
Factors that may be considered in determining the length of a closure order can include previous conduct of the business, the seriousness of the offence, or immediate and ongoing harm to the community.
“I hope these closures send a clear message to anyone thinking about selling illegal tobacco in our community that authorities are serious about tackling this problem,” Dr McGirr said.
“I encourage anyone with knowledge of illicit tobacco or vaping operations to alert NSW Health as soon as possible.”
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