South Australia has taken a significant step towards establishing a “smoke-free generation” by passing world-leading legislation in the upper house of state parliament late last week.
The new laws aim to permanently ban the sale of cigarettes and vapes to anyone born from January 1, 2007, onwards, effectively prohibiting tobacco and e-cigarette product purchases for this cohort throughout their lifetimes.
The legislation was introduced by Independent MP Frank Pangallo, who said he believes the initiative will create a tobacco-free generation.
Drawing inspiration from international efforts, Pangallo noted that similar attempts have been made in the United Kingdom and New Zealand, although the latter’s implementation was reversed.
“It’s a progressive step and one that we need to take and I expect the rates of smoking because of this will actually come down,” he said.
The proposed legislation seeks to raise the legal age for purchasing cigarettes or vapes to 19 until the “smoke-free generation” provision comes into effect.
Furthermore, substantial penalties await those who violate these regulations.
First-time offenders caught selling tobacco products to minors face a maximum fine of $20,000, while repeat offenders risk a $40,000 penalty.
The Cancer Council’s Andrew Schultz emphasised the critical nature of this initiative, particularly in light of the recent surge in vape usage over the past decade.
“I think it’s a really critical time at the moment because we’ve had the advent of vapes over the last 10 years really exploding,” he said.
The bill now proceeds to the lower house, where the government and opposition will thoroughly examine it before making a final decision.
This article was produced with the assistance of 9ExPress.
