The state government continues to take strong action against illicit tobacco and vapes in South Australia with another two stores hit with 28-day closure orders.

Freechoice Parafield Gardens on Martins Rd and TJs Takeaway on Carlisle St, Ethelton have been closed down by the Minister for Consumer and Business Affairs over the past few days.

This follows the five stores closed down by the Minister for Consumer and Business Affairs in Adelaide’s CBD last week.

The Minister for Consumer and Business Affairs will be contacting the landlords of the premises to inform them of the closures. Under our 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 state 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 has the toughest penalties of any state or territory in relation to illicit tobacco and vapes. Our work has been recognised as the best in the nation with the Australian Council on Smoking and Health giving South Australia an A+ for its hard work to combat the illicit tobacco and vape trade.