A LOCAL e-cigarette business is feeling the pinch of new State Government legislation that it says is “demonising” the product.

The Vape Boutique on Murray Street is one of the many ‘vape’ stores across the state impacted by tough new laws regulating the sale of e-cigarettes, mirroring laws currently imposed on regular tobacco products.

The laws, which gave vape stores a six-month compliancy period before coming into full effect last Tuesday, ban the display of e-cigarette products and promotional material at a point of sale and ban the online sale of products.

Vape juices, which is mixed with nicotine liquid and inhaled while smoking, is not covered by the product display ban.

The Vape Boutique’s Brendon Dove said by discouraging the use of e-cigarettes, the State Government was potentially locking people out of a “better” alternative to tobacco smoking.

“For myself, I was a 40-pack a day smoker, it was costing me $33 a day and it was a horrible habit for me driving trucks,” he said.

“One day I was delivering next door to a vape store in Elizabeth, took it up, and since then I haven’t looked back.”

He added the ban on online sales had hurt the store’s business, with the Vape Boutique formerly an online supplier for many e-cig smokers north of Gawler.

“We have a lot of customers from Port Pirie and Ceduna who used to buy off of us online, but they can’t now,” Mr Dove said.

“There was a store in Kadina, but he shut down, so we’re the furthest north store at the moment.

“People come in now and try and have a look at what we’ve got, don’t see anything, and just walk out and leave because we can’t do much else to keep them in.”

Fines for South Australian businesses caught breaching the new laws will be up to $20,000 for a first offence, and $40,000 for a subsequent offence.

Health minister Stephen Wade said the ban would limit the pathways for young people to start smoking.

“We are committed to protecting the community from the potential harms of e-cigarettes,” he said.

“Our children are impressionable and it is important they receive the right messages to make informed health and wellbeing choices as they mature towards adulthood.”

Drug and Alcohol Services South Australia state director Marina Bowshall said researchers were yet to know “the full health effects” of e-cigarette smoking.

“This precautionary approach will protect the health of the community, including children, while still allowing adults to access these products and we will continue to monitor research into the health effects of e-cigarettes,” she said.

“While we don’t know the full health effects of e-cigarette smoking, e-cigarettes generate an aerosol or vapour for inhalation, which is potentially harmful.”