Queensland Enforces $161K Fines for Illicit Tobacco Sales

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Queensland just rolled out Australia's toughest fines for illegal tobacco and vapes, hitting individuals with a whopping $32,260 penalty - ten times what they faced before

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Shop owners caught with illicit smokes or vapes can now be slapped with on-the-spot fines, while corporations face an eye-watering $161,300 penalty

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For the first time ever, Queensland can punish sellers of nicotine pouches (zyn), closing a loophole that previously let these products slip through enforcement cracks

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Vaping rates among Queensland teens tripled between 2017-2023, prompting authorities to seize over 130,000 illegal vapes and eight million cigarettes since taking office.

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Serious offenders won't just face fines - courts can hand down jail time up to two years or penalties reaching $1.6 million for corporations caught in the illicit tobacco trade

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We're determined to stamp out this black-market trade," declared Health Minister Tim Nicholls, pointing directly at what he called failures under the previous government.

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Queensland's crackdown dwarfs other states' approaches - Commonwealth penalties sit at just $3,960 while Victoria, Western Australia and ACT don't even have specific on-the-spot fines

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