Erin Dale Appointed Interim Commissioner for Illegal Tobacco Industry

According to Inside Government on July 1st, Erin Dale, Assistant Commissioner of the Australian Border Force (ABF), will temporarily serve as the Commissioner for Illicit Tobacco and E-cigarettes starting today (July 1st) until a permanent appointment is made.

The commissioner currently leads the ABF tobacco and e-cigarette special task group, having previously held multiple senior executive positions at ABF, including overseeing all national and regional border operations at Australian ports, supervising travel, trade facilitation, and enforcement functions.

The federal government has stated that the role of the Illegal Tobacco and E-Cigarette Commissioner is crucial in coordinating efforts to combat the threats posed by illegal tobacco and e-cigarettes.

Australia's Health Minister, Mark Butler, stated that

The illegal tobacco and e-cigarette products pose a serious threat to the success of tobacco control in our community. I am pleased to have Erin Dale in this role, strengthening our presence in this newly established role in Australia.

We are cracking down on illegal products in multiple ways, and our coordinated efforts are controlling these products that are causing Australians to become addicted to nicotine and have serious health consequences.

Since the new regulation banning the import of disposable e-cigarettes came into effect on January 1, the Australian Border Force (ABF) and the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) have jointly seized nearly 1.9 million illegal e-cigarette products. In addition, from January 1 to April 30, the ABF also seized over 112 tons of tobacco and 608 million cigarettes.

The establishment of the Commissioner position is part of the Australian government's recent $63 million "Give Up For Good" campaign, which aims to raise awareness of the health risks of smoking and vaping, and encourage Australians to utilize expanded smoking cessation support services.