A Shell Cove woman who has worked at a tobacconist for three decades has been busted selling sweet flavoured vapes to teen girls after NSW Health went on an e-cigarette compliance blitz.
Takia Tabet, the owner of Tobacco Land on Crown Street, faced Wollongong Local Court where she pleaded guilty to selling a tobacco product to a person under 18.
"What were you thinking? This is the start of a problem (of kids becoming addicted to nicotine)," Magistrate Gabriel Fleming said to Tabet on Thursday.
Tendered court documents state Environmental Health Officers bought tobacco and e-cigarette products across the Illawarra on Monday, April 17 with the assistance of two volunteer 15-year-old girls.
The teens entered Tobacco Land and requested vapes off Tabet about 10.40am. Tabet sold the girls strawberry kiwi-flavoured e-cigarettes without asking them for their age or any identification.
The officers entered the shop shortly after the illegal sale and questioned Tabet about the incident, to which she responded: "I'm stupid ... I'm not lying, I always ask (for ID)".
The magistrate reminded Tabet of the seriousness of selling nicotine products to children, saying the offence attracts a fine of up to $11,000.
However she opted to not record a conviction, instead subjecting Tabet to a nine-month conditional release order.
Last month, the NSW Government announced $6.8 million to crackdown on the sale of illegal e-cigarettes and increase support for children addicted to vaping.
It followed the release of a University of Wollongong chemical analysis of vapes seized from school children, which showed almost all of them contained nicotine.
Read more Illawarra court and crime stories here.
Our news app has had a makeover, making it faster and giving you access to even more great content. Download The Illawarra Mercury news app in the Apple Store and Google Play.
Grace Crivellaro
Court reporter for the Illawarra Mercury.
Court reporter for the Illawarra Mercury.
