A WAVERLEY woman says she is outraged after finding packets of lollies designed to look like cigarettes for sale in Launceston.
Consumer Affairs and Fair Trading director Chris Batt said under the Public Health Act, selling a toy or confection that resembles, or is intended to represent, tobacco or a tobacco product, is prohibited.
Packs of lollies looking like cigarettes
Shirelle Rigby said she found the confectionary at a store in Launceston.
“They’re trying to ban adults from smoking and then they’re selling things like that,” Ms Rigby said.
“It’s just wrong,” she said.
Northern Tasmania tobacco control officer Ben Harding said he had the power to prosecute stores that sold such items.
He said he was not aware the items were being sold and that the laws were enforced at point of sale.
“If I’m aware of a shop selling, we’ll go and get them to take it off the counter,” Mr Harding said
“We need to know so we can jump on it.”
He said the owners may not have been aware the products were banned.
“We need to get on to them to make sure and to also cut off the supply chain.”
Cancer Council Tasmania acting chief executive officer Simon Barnsley said it was appalling that such products had found a way back on the market.
“They are banned for very good reason,” Mr Barnsley said.
“Many strides have been made since 1997 to de-normalise smoking, and this is completely at odds with these measures.”
Mr Barnsley said the council was pleased that they had been discovered.
“We call on authorities to have them removed as quickly as they can.”
He said it was concerning that they were made available to impressionable young people.
Mr Batt said any consumer finding this type of product should contact Consumer Affairs and Fair Trading, which would be able to investigate.
Ms Rigby said she was also shocked to find confectionery that looked like cosmetics in numerous stores.
“They could pick it up, thinking it’s a lolly and eat it,” Ms Rigby said.
“You don’t know what’s in make-up these days.”
Mr Batt said there was no specific legislation prohibiting the sale of such items but matters relating to unsafe confectionary items were investigated.
“An example may be a lollypop in the form of a roll-on deodorant that had the potential for the candy ball to dislodge and become an ingestion hazard,” he said.
