Health authorities investigate potential unlicensed tobacco sales in Adelaide

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Health authorities say they're actively investigating multiple complaints of unlicensed tobacco sales in Adelaide. It coincides with fliers landing in letterboxes advertising cheap cigarettes at a business in Adelaide's inner south.

Transcript

00:00 The leaflets advertise cigarettes at bargain basement prices, $20 a packet, prompting an

00:08 immediate response from the Health Minister.

00:10 I've asked the public health unit of SA Health to investigate this.

00:14 The flyers were distributed in Forestville this week and point customers to a tobacco

00:18 shop in nearby Unley.

00:21 They advertise 100 cigarettes for $50, as well as tobacco pipes and grinders and cigarette

00:26 papers.

00:27 The ABC has chosen not to show the products being advertised.

00:32 We know cigarettes have a huge harm.

00:34 One of the key reasons that people develop cancer in Australia, one of the leading causes

00:39 of death in Australia, and so that's why there's a whole regime of public health protections

00:44 around them.

00:45 Including bans on publicly distributing unsolicited leaflets featuring tobacco or e-cigarette

00:50 advertising.

00:52 Doing so can lead to fines of up to $10,000.

00:55 I can understand that with cost of living pressures people might be looking for other

01:00 ways of purchasing a product.

01:03 The Cancer Council says more than 1,400 South Australians die every year from tobacco.

01:09 We're a bit shocked to see that there's a promotion out there at the moment, but we

01:13 do know that there are illegal tobacco sales.

01:17 In response to the flyers, SA Health says it's received multiple complaints concerning

01:22 unlicensed tobacco stores.

01:24 It says it's investigating and has provided information to other law enforcement and regulatory

01:29 agencies.

01:31 The ABC does not suggest the shop is selling illegal tobacco.

01:35 The operators were approached for comment.

01:37 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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