News

On Monday 8^th December, our WA Program Officer, Oniké Williams attended an exclusive lunch event with the new Illicit Tobacco and E-cigarette Commissioner (ITEC), Ms Amber Shuhyta, who was the keynote speaker. The event was attended by key representatives across Western Australia in the tobacco control and health sector, including our local Tackling Indigenous Smoking grant recipients GRAMS, SWAMS and Derbarl Yerrigan Health Service.

A beautiful Welcome to Country was performed by Whadjuk Noongar Elder, Vaugn McGuire who spoke about smoking and vaping being a serious matter in the Aboriginal community, and the effects that new harmful products are having on the young Aboriginal people.

Mr McGuire sang the songline of the Whadjuk people that was moving. He encouraged everyone to learn from each other, and that we can only make it right through unity. Our children’s lives are at risk with the rise in vaping. Sang the

ACOSH CEO Laura Hunter spoke about the deeply alarming illicit tobacco and vape trade, products being sold in broad daylight without repercussions, keeping addiction cheap and accessible for young people. She urges the state government  to update the Tobacco Products Control Act 2006 to explicitly prohibit the sale and supply of illicit tobacco & illicit vape

Ms Hunter also presented the 2025 Bob Elphick Award to Professor Becky Freeman from the University of Sydney. She was recognised for her outstanding career contributions to tobacco and vaping control. Professor Freeman was instrumental in her research into tobacco industry marketing and the online resurgence of tobacco products, and social media during the vaping boom.

The Dirty Ashtray and Exploding Vape award went to British American Tobacco.

Ms Amber Shuhyta spoke about the effects and influence of illicit tobacco operation across Australia. Illicit tobacco poses a serious public health risk by putting harmful, unregulated, and more accessible products into our communities. The ITEC taskforce is ceasing entry at our borders in a number of high profile operations. The figures from these border operations reveal the scale of the illicit tobacco and e-cigarettes market. Ms Shuhyta reflects that no one single solution or policy can tackle this issue alone and it cannot be solved with siloed thinking when trying to address this issue and demand reduction is the only way. Stronger penalties and consequences are needed for criminal markets like Illicit trade. Currently the risks are lower for this trade, allowing them to operate at higher rates. Ms Shuhyta encourages strengthening cross-jurisdictional partnerships to tackle this issue. Sharing capabilities, limiting vulnerabilities and unifying information and research, allows for coherent national arrangements. These collective influences demand reduction, and disrupt the illegal tobacco and vape trade.

The sentiments from the lunch really hits home to the important work that the TIS program embodies. From our culturally relevant campaigns, community engagement and key partnerships. It is just another reminder that the ongoing strength and resilience we demonstrate each day reflects national efforts to reduce the impact of these harmful products in our communities and future.

The final words from ACOSH CEO Laura Hunter were to acknowledge everyone in the room for their tireless work, and that when the tobacco industry speaks loud, We must speak louder!