By Andrew Starke
Cigarette and tobacco retailers will soon be subject to more onerous regulation as a raft of new laws comes into affect in NSW next month.
In terms of the Public Health (Tobacco) Act 2008, retailers will be limited to one point of sale for tobacco products, prohibited from displaying tobacco products and required to remove all tobacco products from all shopper-loyalty programs.
Different phase-in periods apply to different types of businesses for the ban on displaying tobacco products, non-tobacco smoking products and smoking accessories.
Tobacco retailers that employed 50 or less employees as at September 25, 2008 (the date of the introduction of the Public Health (Tobacco) Bill 2008) have until July 1 2010 to comply with the display ban.
Retailers that employed greater than 50 employees have until January 1, 2010, to be compliant. Tobacco vending machines are subject to a display ban from the same date.
Retailers classified as ‘specialist retail tobacconists’ through the Tobacco Retailer Licensing System have a longer phase-in period in view of the increased impact of the display ban on these retailers.