Strengthening SA’s tobacco control legislation

Consultation Process

Now Closed

This online engagement was hosted on YourSAy from 1 April 2019 to 3 May 2019. Below is a record of the consultation process.

How can we improve tobacco control laws in South Australia to help reduce smoking and the potential harms associated with passive smoking?

What is being decided?

We are considering making changes to South Australian tobacco control legislation to help reduce the harms associated with smoking and exposure to second hand smoke.

We would like to know what you think about recommendations from an independent review of South Australian tobacco control laws.

You are invited to consider the Discussion Paper on recommendations from an independent review of tobacco control legislation in South Australia and provide your views on:

• options for strengthening the smoke-free outdoor dining laws
• increasing penalties for breaches of South Australian tobacco control legislation
• enhancing the tobacco licensing scheme, including:

o increasing oversight of where tobacco and e-cigarette retailers operate; and
o the introduction of a tobacco and e-cigarette wholesaler licence

• establishing smoke-free areas around children’s educational facilities and child care centres.

Note that, from 31 March 2019, changes to South Australian tobacco control laws also apply to e-cigarette products under the Tobacco and E-Cigarette Products Act 1997.

How can your input influence the decision?

Your responses to the recommendations will help shape potential changes to South Australian tobacco control legislation.

Get involved

Read the Discussion Paper on recommendations from an independent review of tobacco control legislation in South Australia and provide your feedback.

• Join the online discussion
• Email: DASSATobaccoControlUnit@health.sa.gov.au

Contact

For more information contact:

Tobacco Control Unit
Email: DASSATobaccoControlUnit@health.sa.gov.au
Phone: 08 7425 5000

Closing Date: 5pm Friday 3 May 2019

Background

Now Closed

This online engagement was hosted on YourSAy from 1 April 2019 to 3 May 2019. Below is a record of this enegagement.

Tobacco smoking is still one of the leading preventable causes of illness and death in Australia. The most recent data estimates that there are approximately 1,350 tobacco-attributable deaths each year in South Australia. Two thirds (66.4%) of the South Australian population are exposed to second-hand tobacco smoke (also known as passive smoking) at least once in a two-week period.

Over the past decade, daily smoking prevalence in South Australia has declined from 17.4% in 2008 to 14.3% in 2017 among people 15 years and older.

Despite this progress, evidence shows that driving further reductions in smoking prevalence requires a continuous effort and the effectiveness of tobacco control legislation needs to be maintained. SA Health commissioned an independent review of South Australian tobacco control legislation (the Tobacco Products Regulation Act 1997 (the Act)) and associated Regulations. The review by public health law expert Dr Chris Reynolds culminated in the Report of the Administrative Review of the Tobacco Products Regulation Act 1997.

Of the 40 recommendations made by Dr Reynolds, 25 were integrated into changes made to the tobacco laws that were passed by the South Australian Parliament on 15 November 2018 and will come into operation from 31 March 2019.

Recommendations from the report that have policy implications may require amendments to South Australian tobacco legislation in the future. These recommendations are the subject of this consultation and mainly relate to three areas:

1. Further increasing penalties for breaches of tobacco (and e-cigarette) legislation;
2. Enhancing the licensing scheme for selling tobacco (and e-cigarette) products; and
3. Establishing smoke-free areas around children’s educational facilities and child care centres.

New regulations for electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) have been included in South Australia’s tobacco control legislation coming into operation from 31 March 2019 to reduce the potential harms associated with these products and bring the State in line with most other Australian jurisdictions. The Reynolds review was conducted prior to the inclusion of e-cigarettes into South Australian legislation. However, this consultation provides a timely opportunity to also provide feedback on the recommendations as they relate to e-cigarette products.