More challenges for vape retailers

I don’t know why any retailer sells vape products. They are a questionable product surrounded by controversy and, from a health perspective, leading to harm. I certainly have no interest in sticking vape products enemy shops.

But, since plenty of newsagents do …

A letter from the NSW Chief health Officer recently has raised alarm among vape retailers.

These statements are what really concern the retailers:

“You cannot rely on the labelling of e-cigarette products to know whether products contain nicotine.”

“It is your responsibility to ensure that any e-cigarette or e-liquid products your business sells do not contain nicotine (for example, by having them independently tested by an authorised facility)”.

Retailers and some who represent them say it is unfair that they, the retailers, have the obligation to determine if what they sell is legal. They say that governments, federal, state, should stop inadequately labelled and mislabelled products from getting into Australia.

The Australasian Convenience and Petroleum Marketers Association has written about this issue.

“Directing retailers to verify and certify the contents of products that they did not manufacture is far from reasonable and appears legally invalid. By default, it is an admission that Australian Governments are failing to properly enforcing labelling standards for vape products”, said ACAPMA CEO Mark McKenzie.

“Like their customers, retailers must be able to rely on the information provided on product labels and therefore all Australian governments have an absolute responsibility to ensure that manufacturers’ meet their legislative obligations in respect of product labelling – regardless of whether that relates to tobacco content, alcohol content, sugar content, fat content and so on”, added Mark.

While I get that product labelling is important and that retailers should be able to rely on labels. We know that right now with some vape products that is not possible. All of us in retail have an obligation to know what we are selling. If we cannot be sure, don’t sell it.

Let me finish by noting again that I have no interest in selling vape products in my newsagencies. I got out of tobacco in 1996. At that time my view was that the category had no place in a family friendly business.