MEDIA STATEMENT: Tough new fines to extinguish illegal tobacco and vapes

Tough new fines to extinguish illegal tobacco and vapes 

• The Crisafulli Government delivers on promise and introduces nation’s toughest fines for shops supplying or possessing illicit tobacco and vapes.
• Illegal operators to be hit with on-the-spot fines in excess of $30,000 for the supply of illicit tobacco and vapes from today.
• Crisafulli Government determined to stamp out the dangerous black-market trade, that flourished under the former Labor Government. 

The Crisafulli Government will issue the nation’s heftiest fines for rogue store operators caught stocking and selling illicit tobacco and vapes, in the Government’s latest crackdown.  

The on-the-spot fines have increased ten-fold from the weak fines under Labor, for individuals and corporations caught selling illegal tobacco products. 

Fines for the commercial supply of illicit tobacco and illegal nicotine products have now increased to $32,260 for an individual, up from $3,226. For corporations, the financial penalty is now $161,300, up from $16,130.  

These changes also mean that for the first time, fines can be issued for the commercial possession and supply of vapes and nicotine pouches (often known as zyn) – penalties that never existed under the former Government. 

These tough new fines can be issued on the spot, however court ordered penalties of up to two years’ imprisonment and/or fines of up to $322,600 for individuals or $1.6 million for a corporation remain available. 

Under Labor, vaping rates among Queensland high school students tripled from 2017 to 2023, prompting the Crisafulli Government to announce last year it would take a tough stance on this illegal empire, to stop these products falling into the hands of our children. 

Since coming to office, the Crisafulli Government has delivered on that promise and seized more than 130,000 illegal vapes and eight million illegal cigarettes. 

Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Tim Nicholls said the Crisafulli Government was clamping down on the trade of illegal tobacco and vaping products in Queensland. 

“For too long this black-market trade was allowed to flourish under Labor but we’re determined to stamp it out,” Minister Nicholls said. 

“We promised a crackdown and with these tougher penalties hitting illegal operators in the hip pocket, we are helping stop illegal vapes falling into the hands of our kids. 

“Labor’s penalties barely punished illegal chop shops, so we make no apologies for increasing the fines ten-fold when it comes to the sale of illicit tobacco, vapes or nicotine pouches.