The arrival of a store with the name Tobacco Candy Mart has caused a flurry of concern in the inner west suburb of Dulwich Hill.
Residents are worried about the presence of a business that will retail tobacco products in their neighbourhood but, under existing regulations, opening this business in an existing retail shop does not require a development application (DA).
As we report today, members of the Dulwich Hill community feel it has been robbed of an opportunity to have its say about the presence of the business, and that tobacco shops should be subject to the same requirements as liquor stores, adult stores or gun shops which all require a DA.
Inner west mayor Darcy Bryne wants to make it harder for tobacco stores to open in suburban shopping strips.Credit: Sam Mooy
The driver behind the community concern is, of course, the number of stores of this nature which sell tobacco and vaping products to young customers.
The issue has prompted Inner West mayor Darcy Byrne to take a motion to this week’s council meeting for new regulations requiring tobacco and vape stores to seek approval through a development application.
It is not hyperbole to say that vapes, once marketed as a nicotine cessation product, have created one of our greatest public health problems. Federal Health Minister Mark Butler last year estimated more than two million Australians vape.
Of particular concern is how widespread vaping is among young people. Recent data shows the number of 14- to 17-year-old Australians who vape has risen almost 12-fold in just four years. The Lung Foundation says, in 2023, that 14.5 per cent of teenagers had vaped, while 20 per cent of 18- to 24-year-olds are recreational vapers.
The question, of course, is how young people are getting access to vapes, specifically highly addictive nicotine vapes. Only e-cigarettes, that do not contain nicotine, can legally be sold to adults over the age of 18 in Australia.
This is where the anxiety in communities such as Dulwich Hill over tobacco stores and other convenience stores which stock these types of product lies.
Give communities a chance to have their say on retail outlets
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10.02.2024
The arrival of a store with the name Tobacco Candy Mart has caused a flurry of concern in the inner west suburb of Dulwich Hill.
Residents are worried about the presence of a business that will retail tobacco products in their neighbourhood but, under existing regulations, opening this business in an existing retail shop does not require a development application (DA).
As we report today, members of the Dulwich Hill community feel it has been robbed of an opportunity to have its say about the presence of the business,........
© The Sydney Morning Herald
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