Smokeless tobacco products

Smokeless tobacco products are absorbed into the user's system through sucking or chewing rather than burning the tobacco, as with cigarettes or cigars. Smokeless tobacco products can carry levels of nicotine equivalent to or greater than those found in cigarettes.

On this page

• Types of oral tobacco products
• Oral snuff
• Pastes and/or powders
• Chewing tobacco
• Exceptions
• Hazards
• Ban
• Does this ban apply to my business?
• Complying with the ban
• Penalties and consequences

Types of oral tobacco products

Under the ban, smokeless tobacco include oral snuff, paste and/or powders and chewing tobacco.

Oral snuff

• Ground tobacco held in place in the mouth and sucked. Snuff can be loose or in a ready to use sachet much like a teabag designed for sucking.

Pastes and/or powders

• Tobacco ground down to paste or powder and applied to the teeth or gums.

Chewing tobacco

• A loose leaf, plug tobacco or twist chewing tobacco chewed by the user.

Exceptions

Private importers of small quantities of chewing tobacco and oral snuff can continue to do so under the Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations:

• the Regulations allow quantities of up to 1.5 kilograms of chewing tobacco or oral snuff to be imported, provided it is for personal use only and not for commercial supply
• there is a permit arrangement in place whereby personal users can seek an ‘Import Permit’ to import quantities of chewing tobacco and oral snuff greater than 1.5 kilograms, provided:
• there is evidence that the importer is over 18 years of age 
• the importer is able to demonstrate that the tobacco products are for personal use only.

The Australian Customs and Border Protection Service is able to further advise importers on these requirements.

Hazards

Cancers, chromosomal damage, infections and death

Studies have shown a link between a variety of diseases/infections and the use of smokeless tobacco products:

• pancreatic cancer
• oral cancer
• pharyngeal cancer
• local lesions in the mouth.

Ban

Consumer Protection Notice No. 10 of 1991 prescribes requirements of this ban. This ban came into effect on 4 June 1991.

Does this ban apply to my business?

Under the ACL supply includes:

• in relation to goods - (including re-supply) by way of sale, exchange, lease, hire or hire-purchase and
• in relation to services - provide, grant of confer. 

This ban applies to anyone in the business of supplying smokeless tobacco products, including:

• manufacturers
• importers
• distributors
• retailers
• hirers.

Complying with the ban

For complete information about the ban on smokeless tobacco products, we strongly advise you to read Consumer Protection Notice No. 10 of 1991.

Penalties and consequences

Suppliers can face heavy fines and recalls of non-compliant products if they trade in these banned products. For more details, view Penalties and consequences.