Three Sydney based companies face fines of $66,600 for the alleged unlawful importation of more than 100,000 nicotine vaping products.
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It is alleged that JL Partners (AUST) Pty Ltd, Wjwing Pty Ltd, TSJ Logistics Pty Ltd and two individuals attempted to import nicotine vaping products that were not registered in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods.
Nicotine vaping products are prescription medicines used to help smokers quit and can only be purchased in Australia with a doctor's prescription. It is illegal to sell vapes containing nicotine in Australia.
The unapproved nicotine vaping products were intercepted by the Australian Border Force and will be seized and destroyed under advice from the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).
According to the TGA, nicotine vaping products that are not supplied through approved pathways can pose significant health risks, with many tested by the TGA Laboratories found to contain dangerous chemicals.
Vaping is on the rise in Australia with Queensland seeking to amend tobacco laws to create deterrents against the unlawful supply of smoking products and penalties to protect children from smoking.
IN OTHER NEWS:
The increased availability and use of unregulated nicotine vaping products among adolescents and young people is associated health risks, including nicotine addiction, nicotine poisoning, exposure to toxins, and serious injuries and burns.
Earlier this year Health minister Mark Butler said that dozens of children under the age of four ingesting nicotine was one of the reasons for a crackdown on vaping laws.
Federal treasurer Jim Chalmers has warned that vaping and black-market tobacco products is costing the government about $5 billion in lost taxes.
The penalty for importing nicotine e-liquid without a prescription is up to $222,000 under the Customs Act 1901.
