Two stores in a Sunshine Coast town have been forced to close for three days this week by authorities enforcing tobacco and vape laws.
Interim closure notices were slapped on Nambour Gifts and Tobacconist and Golden Leaf Tobacconist in Currie Street, Nambour, on Tuesday.
The notices, signed on behalf of the Queensland Health chief executive and posted on the front door of each business, say it is reasonably suspected that illicit tobacco or tobacco products have been or are likely to be sold, or that the business has been supplying smoking products without a licence.
The notices say that during the three-day closure, it is an offence to sell smoking products at the premises and an offence to work in a business involving the supply of smoking products at the premises.
Queensland Health declined to comment specifically on the interim closures but did offer some figures on illegal smoking products that had already been confiscated on the Sunshine Coast.
A spokesperson said 1,098,631 illicit cigarettes, 223kg of loose tobacco and 11,400 vapes were seized on the Coast between July and December last year.
“Queensland Health is working closely with the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and other state and federal government agencies to enforce tobacco and vaping laws,” they said.
Under federal laws that came into force last year, only pharmacies can legally sell vapes and customers must have prescriptions to purchase them.
The Queensland Health spokesperson said retailers supplying and possessing illegal tobacco and vapes faced up to two years’ jail and fines of up to $322,600 for individuals or $1.6 million for corporations.
Strict new closure powers in Queensland enabled authorities to shut down a business for up to six months if it continued to sell illicit tobacco or vape products, or operated without a valid smoking product licence, the spokesperson said.
“In addition, businesses storing vapes at commercial or offsite locations, such as storage sheds or vehicles, are committing an offence, and officers have the authority to take action,” they said.
The spokesperson said Queensland Health received and responded to community complaints about the supply of vapes by retailers and such storage.
Concerns about the sales of illegal tobacco products or vapes can be reported by calling 13 QGOV or using the online complaint form.
