Market & legal data of the tobacco alternative sector in Australasia

20th November 2024: New Zealand: The Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Amendment Bill, expected to come into force in November, was adopted in the second reading last week. The main changes expected are zoning restrictions for specialist stores, increased penalties for breaking the law, and retail visibility restrictions. The zoning restrictions and increased penalties will come into force once the bill is approved, and the retail visibility restrictions will come into force six months afterwards. The bill is currently awaiting its third reading.
5th November 2024: New Zealand: The Ministry of Health has published the upcoming changes to the vaping and tobacco laws that are being discussed in Parliament through the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Amendment Bill, expected to come into force in November. The main changes are zoning restrictions to specialist stores, increasing penalties for breaking the law and retail visibility restrictions. The zoning restrictions and increased penalties will come into force once the bill is approved, and the retail visibility will come into force six months after. The bill is currently waiting for its second reading.
24th October 2024: New Zealand: Following a tax cut of 50% on heated tobacco products (HTPs) in July, the opposition Labour party has asked the auditor-general to investigate health and customs minister Casey Costello over an alleged link to the tobacco industry, press reports. Costello said the tax cut was to encourage chronic smokers to switch, since HTPs have a similar risk profile to vapes. The government added that the tax cut was a one-year trial to determine whether it helps people to quit smoking.
8th October 2024: New Zealand: Health authorities have told TobaccoIntelligence that the requirements for selling reusable vaping products with removable batteries and child-safety mechanisms, which entered into force on 1st October 2024, also apply to heated tobacco devices, as they are classified as vaping devices.
2nd October 2024: New Zealand: The requirements for selling reusable vaping products that have removable batteries and child-safety mechanisms, which entered into force on 1st October 2024, would allegedly apply to heated tobacco products (HTPs), press reports. As heated tobacco devices are classified as vape devices, any products without a removable battery would not be compliant. As Philip Morris has a monopoly with its Iqos products, the press has seen emails to suppliers saying that Iqos is “unavailable for purchase due to a regulatory change on 1 October 2024 affecting vaping devices”. TobaccoIntelligence is speaking to the relevant authorities for further clarification.
27th September 2024: New Zealand: The parliament has extended the deadline for public submissions on the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Amendment Bill (No. 2) to 4th October. The bill seeks to increase fines for sales of heated tobacco products (HTPs) to under-18s. It is under analysis by the Health Committee, which will gather information and prepare a report on the bill.
25th September 2024: New Zealand: In a forum organised by Health Coalition Aotearoa, associate health minister Casey Costello said they are committed to achieving the Smokefree 2025 target of less than 5% smokers, and to do this they “have to be anti-smoking, not necessarily anti-nicotine”, press reports. She also added that they have accepted that “using a safer form of nicotine is an important tool in getting people on the pathway to stop smoking tobacco. This is from nicotine patches through to vaping.”
13th September 2024: New Zealand: The Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Amendment Bill (No. 2) has been agreed on a first reading by the parliament. The bill increases fines for sales of heated tobacco products (HTPs) to under-18s. It was referred to the Health Committee, which will gather information and prepare a report on the bill. Public submissions will be open until 27th September.
12th September 2024: New Zealand: The government has introduced the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Amendment Bill (No 2), which aims to tackle youth vaping. Although the bill mainly focuses on vaping products, it also increases fines for sales of heated tobacco products to under-18s. Minister of health Casey Costello said that the next steps in the government’s smoke-free programme would be updating and strengthening the regulation of vaping and other nicotine products.
29th August 2024: Australia: A legislation establishing penalties for the illegal sale of vaping and tobacco products has been introduced by the South Australian government. The bill aims to sanction with severe penalties the supply of vaping products and tobacco heating devices in places other than pharmacies as well as their sale to under-18s. It also aims to ban nicotine pouches. If the legislation is eventually passed, South Australia will become the state with the toughest penalties on illicit vaping and novel products in the country. Additionally, the government is investing AUD16m (USD11m) in an inspection task force within Consumer and Business Services to crack down on illegal trade of those products.
24th July 2024: New Zealand: After opposition parties criticised health minister Casey Costello’s decision to cut the excise tax on heated tobacco products (HTPs) by 50%, the minister said in a parliamentary enquiry that the government is committed to achieving Smokefree Aotearoa 2025 (less than 5% of smokers) and ensuring there are “tools available to achieve the target audience quitting smoking”. She added that “the main audience for this change are the quit-smoking providers, all of whom I will be meeting with over the next month to discuss the best way to continue to reduce smoking rates and achieve our smoke-free 2025 target”.
18th July 2024: New Zealand: Associate health minister Casey Costello has cut by 50% the excise tax on heated tobacco products (HTPs). New tariff numbers were created (for imported and locally manufactured HTPs), at NZD886.51 (USD540) per kg of tobacco (containing reconstituted tobacco) and NZD777.61 (USD472) per kg of tobacco (other). The tax rates entered into force on 1st July. A spokesperson for the minister told press that Costello made the move to “reduce the cost of the products to encourage smokers to switch to safer alternatives”.

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