❓ Question regarding the government's plan to introduce tougher laws to combat illegal tobacco and vape sales. The Premier responds by highlighting current efforts and commitment to strengthening tobacco control laws.
AnsweredQoN 548Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Tobacco—Illegal supply
548. Mr Basil Zempilas to
the Premier:
I refer to comments
today from the Australian Council on Smoking and Health calling for urgent
state legislative reform to tackle the problem of illegal tobacco and vape
sales head-on. Will the Premier commit to ensuring tougher laws will be in
place this year to protect our community or will the public be left exposed
until his government gets on with the job?
548. Mr Basil Zempilas to
the Premier:
I refer to comments
today from the Australian Council on Smoking and Health calling for urgent
state legislative reform to tackle the problem of illegal tobacco and vape
sales head-on. Will the Premier commit to ensuring tougher laws will be in
place this year to protect our community or will the public be left exposed
until his government gets on with the job?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member
for the question. We are committed to the health of Western Australians, and that
is why we have a coordinated approach to health across five ministers. We
established the first preventive health portfolio in Australia. Since 2017, we
have increased the annual preventive health spend by over $93 million and delivered
the free flu vaccine program, which we extended this year and will be complemented
with 130,000 free flu vaccines for children next year. We delivered the nation-leading
respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) program, which prevented
over 500 hospitalisations in its first year, and we expanded it to pregnant
women. We rolled out targeted programs like the Cancer Council WA's Make Smoking
History program, the Clear the Air anti-vaping campaign and the "Alcohol. Think
Again" campaign.
We continue to be
active in ensuring that we remove illicit tobacco and vapes under the powers we
currently have. The Western Australia Police Force, WA Health, Australian
Federal Police and Australian Border Force have undertaken several coordinated
operations to target organised criminals and seize illicit tobacco and vapes.
Let us go through the stats, Mr Speaker.
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members of the opposition, the Premier is
responding to your question.
Mr Roger Cook: In 2024, they seized 6.5 million
illicit cigarettes, 1,500 kilograms of illicit tobacco and 60,000 vapes. Since
July this year, they have seized 1,003,194 illicit cigarettes, 429.7 kilograms
of illicit tobacco and 15,156 vapes.
Mr Basil Zempilas interjected.
Mr Roger Cook: Since 1 January 2024, the Department of
Health has seized more than 190,000 vapes, 460,000 cigarettes and over 85 kilograms
of loose tobacco.
Mr Basil Zempilas interjected.
The Speaker: Leader of the Opposition, your constant
interjections are disorderly and not required.
Mr Roger Cook: I have just detailed the efforts of the
AFP, WA police and the Department of Health. Combined, since 1 January 2024, that
equates to the seizure of almost 11 million cigarettes, almost three tonnes of
loose tobacco and over 300,000 vapes. That means WA police and WA Health every
day seize around 16,630 cigarettes, 465 vapes and four kilograms of loose
tobacco. We will continue to work closely with the Commonwealth, WA police,
Australian Border Force and the Therapeutic Goods Administration to enhance
statewide monitoring and compliance activities.
Mr Speaker, in
relation to the issues raised by ACOSH, the state government is committed to
strengthening our tobacco control laws so that they are the toughest in the
country. We will be cracking down on the unlawful sale of illicit tobacco and
vapes, and continuing multi-agency collaboration with the Commonwealth, WA
police and WA Health to enhance monitoring and compliance.
Mr Adam Hort interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Kalamunda, your interjections
are not required either.
Mr Roger Cook: What you see in my government is not a
government sitting around waiting for laws, which we have committed to; we are
getting on with the job.
Ms Libby Mettam interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Vasse, thank you.
Mr Roger Cook: We are getting on with the job of
ensuring that we take as many of these illicit products as we can out of the
system altogether.
It comes on top of
work we are doing around illicit drugs more generally. We have seen a
significant effort by WA police to make sure that we continue to target illicit
drugs and organised crime when they are—
Several members
interjected.
Mr Roger Cook: We are tackling organised crime,
particularly when it is involved in illicit drugs. We are doing a whole range
of activities, we have had significant outcomes as a result of those activities
and we will continue to craft the laws that are necessary. We will be looking
at the opportunities represented by examples in other states and will continue
to be advised by experts on policies. We will make sure that we get it right,
and so we will not be rushed into this. We will ensure that we get these laws
in place in an appropriate period of time to ensure that police and other
authorities have the legal levers they need to make sure they can produce the
outcomes they want to get.
for the question. We are committed to the health of Western Australians, and that
is why we have a coordinated approach to health across five ministers. We
established the first preventive health portfolio in Australia. Since 2017, we
have increased the annual preventive health spend by over $93 million and delivered
the free flu vaccine program, which we extended this year and will be complemented
with 130,000 free flu vaccines for children next year. We delivered the nation-leading
respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) program, which prevented
over 500 hospitalisations in its first year, and we expanded it to pregnant
women. We rolled out targeted programs like the Cancer Council WA's Make Smoking
History program, the Clear the Air anti-vaping campaign and the "Alcohol. Think
Again" campaign.
We continue to be
active in ensuring that we remove illicit tobacco and vapes under the powers we
currently have. The Western Australia Police Force, WA Health, Australian
Federal Police and Australian Border Force have undertaken several coordinated
operations to target organised criminals and seize illicit tobacco and vapes.
Let us go through the stats, Mr Speaker.
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members of the opposition, the Premier is
responding to your question.
Mr Roger Cook: In 2024, they seized 6.5 million
illicit cigarettes, 1,500 kilograms of illicit tobacco and 60,000 vapes. Since
July this year, they have seized 1,003,194 illicit cigarettes, 429.7 kilograms
of illicit tobacco and 15,156 vapes.
Mr Basil Zempilas interjected.
Mr Roger Cook: Since 1 January 2024, the Department of
Health has seized more than 190,000 vapes, 460,000 cigarettes and over 85 kilograms
of loose tobacco.
Mr Basil Zempilas interjected.
The Speaker: Leader of the Opposition, your constant
interjections are disorderly and not required.
Mr Roger Cook: I have just detailed the efforts of the
AFP, WA police and the Department of Health. Combined, since 1 January 2024, that
equates to the seizure of almost 11 million cigarettes, almost three tonnes of
loose tobacco and over 300,000 vapes. That means WA police and WA Health every
day seize around 16,630 cigarettes, 465 vapes and four kilograms of loose
tobacco. We will continue to work closely with the Commonwealth, WA police,
Australian Border Force and the Therapeutic Goods Administration to enhance
statewide monitoring and compliance activities.
Mr Speaker, in
relation to the issues raised by ACOSH, the state government is committed to
strengthening our tobacco control laws so that they are the toughest in the
country. We will be cracking down on the unlawful sale of illicit tobacco and
vapes, and continuing multi-agency collaboration with the Commonwealth, WA
police and WA Health to enhance monitoring and compliance.
Mr Adam Hort interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Kalamunda, your interjections
are not required either.
Mr Roger Cook: What you see in my government is not a
government sitting around waiting for laws, which we have committed to; we are
getting on with the job.
Ms Libby Mettam interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Vasse, thank you.
Mr Roger Cook: We are getting on with the job of
ensuring that we take as many of these illicit products as we can out of the
system altogether.
It comes on top of
work we are doing around illicit drugs more generally. We have seen a
significant effort by WA police to make sure that we continue to target illicit
drugs and organised crime when they are—
Several members
interjected.
Mr Roger Cook: We are tackling organised crime,
particularly when it is involved in illicit drugs. We are doing a whole range
of activities, we have had significant outcomes as a result of those activities
and we will continue to craft the laws that are necessary. We will be looking
at the opportunities represented by examples in other states and will continue
to be advised by experts on policies. We will make sure that we get it right,
and so we will not be rushed into this. We will ensure that we get these laws
in place in an appropriate period of time to ensure that police and other
authorities have the legal levers they need to make sure they can produce the
outcomes they want to get.
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