On July 1 2025 the Australian Government announced it has appointed Amber Shuhyta as the Illicit Tobacco and E-cigarette (ITEC) Commissioner, to continue the fight against illicit tobacco and those who profit from it.
The ITEC Commissioner role was established by the Albanese Government on 1 July 2024 to coordinate national efforts to combat the threat of illicit tobacco and e-cigarettes to the Australian community.
Ms Shuhyta commenced work on 1 July 2025, to lead a comprehensive and coordinated approach to the growing threat posed by illicit tobacco and e-cigarettes in Australia.
As ITEC Commissioner, Ms Shuhyta will support the development and implementation of national strategies, drive whole-of-government outcomes and a unified, national response to illicit tobacco and e-cigarettes.
Ms Shuhyta has mostly recently been the Assistant Secretary, Primary Care Strategy/Access and Integration at the Department of Health and Aged Care, where she has had policy and program responsibility for the delivery of major government commitments.
Ms Amber Shuhyta
Prior to this, Ms Shuhyta was Acting Group Manager, Women’s Safety at the Department of Social Services, where she expanded programs across Australia and drove national consistency for flagship activities such as 1800Respect.
Ms Shuhyta takes over from interim ITEC Commissioner, Ms Erin Dale, whose appointment concluded on 30 June 2025. We thank Ms Dale for her dedicated service over the past 12 months and her efforts in establishing the Office of the ITEC Commissioner, which will provide the foundations for future success.
Since its establishment, the ITEC Commissioner has worked across government to combat the threat of illicit tobacco and e-cigarettes.
The Government has invested over $350 million, taking decisive action to end the trade of illicit tobacco and tackle the black market.
Minister for Home Affairs, The Hon. Tony Burke MP said:
“Ms Shuhyta’s appointment reinforces the Government’s commitment to stamping out the black market trade in nicotine products to protect the Australian community.
“The ITEC Commissioner will work side by side with state and territory authorities, to assist those jurisdictions with the challenges caused by the scourge of illicit tobacco.”
Minister for Health, The Hon. Mark Butler MP said:
“Traders selling illicit tobacco might think this is a relatively harmless, innocuous trade, but it's undermining the public health of Australians.
“Every time they sell a packet of these illegal cigarettes, they are bankrolling the criminal activities of some of the vilest, worst organised criminal gangs in this country.
“Through the work of the ITEC Commissioner we want to see enforcement activity at state level increase, and we're resourcing states to undertake more prosecutions.”
Independent Pittwater MP Jacqui Scruby said the Federal Government’s appointment of a national Illicit Tobacco and E-Cigarette Commissioner will strengthen the national response to the illegal tobacco trade, including imports and cross-border supply chains.
ITEC Commissioner Amber Shuhyta will coordinate cross-border police, health, and regulatory agencies to improve detection, and disrupt illicit imports and domestic retail networks.
“This is a constructive move that reflects the scale of the problem we’re facing, which coincides with NSW’s new tobacco licensing scheme, passed earlier this year to increase penalties for sales without a licence and the states’ interagency taskforce as I called for in November 2024,” Ms Scruby said.
“If we can close down a restaurant for health breaches, we should be able to close down a shop selling illegal tobacco and vapes. Organised crime should not be allowed to have distribution networks in retail shops on high streets.
“There are shops operating openly across Pittwater within metres of schools, selling illegal products linked to organised crime. These new announcements should strengthen enforcement and plug gaps across federal and state systems, particularly tracking imports and stopping supply chains before they reach our streets.”
Ms Scruby has already raised the issue in NSW Parliament and through community channels, calling for a coordinated state-level crackdown and stronger action against non-compliant retailers. She has also encouraged residents to make a submission to the current NSW Parliamentary Inquiry into illicit tobacco.
“This problem won’t be solved by a single announcement, but every new announcement is progress. It requires consistent enforcement and the political will to follow through at every level,” Ms Scruby said.
“I’ll keep pushing for practical action in Pittwater, especially where communities feel let down by ineffective enforcement.”
The announcement builds on other recent measures, including:
- The NSW Government’s new licensing scheme which came into effect on 1 July
- A newly formed NSW taskforce
- A state parliamentary inquiry now accepting public submissions until Friday, 1 August 2025
Pittwater MP Jacqui Scruby reminded residents can share their experiences or suggestions with the NSW Parliamentary Inquiry until 1 August 2025 here.
''I encourage everyone to sign my petition calling for continued action on illegal tobacconists and vape shops in Pittwater here.'' Ms Scruby said
Over 10 million vapes seized and fewer young people taking up vaping
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and Australian Border Force (ABF) stated on July 16 they have seized more than 10 million illicit vapes, with a current street value of almost half a billion dollars, from the Australian market since January 2024.
This action at the border and across the country has kept profits out of the black market and vapes out of the hands of our most vulnerable and impressionable, young people.
Interceptions at the border, coupled with ongoing domestic enforcement activity by the TGA and state and territory authorities, continue to disrupt the supply of illegal vapes.
South Australia has some of the toughest laws in the nation when it comes to combatting illicit tobacco and vapes with a dedicated tobacco taskforce raiding stores and shutting them down.
Since 5 June – when the state’s new closure laws came into effect – almost 20 stores have been hit with 28 day closure orders. The Magistrates Court can order longer term closures on application by the Minister.
In total, $35 million worth of illicit tobacco and vapes has been taken off the streets in SA over the past year with state and federal authorities working closely to shut this illicit trade down.
In the twelve months since Australia’s world leading vaping reform legislation was passed there is evidence fewer young Australians are taking up vaping.
The latest research from the Generation Vape Project, the most comprehensive survey on vaping in Australia, has found the rate of vaping dropped from 20 to 18 per cent among 18-24-year-olds from 2023 to now.
Among 14-17-year-olds, the rate of vaping was rapidly rising in recent years but started to drop in the last quarter of last year, falling from 18 per cent in early 2023 to 15 per cent in the latest data.
The Generation Vape Project also finds that young people are reporting less of their friends vape in 2025 (7.6 per cent) compared to 2023 (14.9 per cent), and they are being exposed to less vape advertisements on popular social media platforms in 2025 compared to early 2024.
Young people aged 14-17 years are vaping less, those who have never vaped or even had a few puffs has increased to 85 per cent compared to 83 per cent in early 2023. Those who have never smoked or even had a few puffs of a cigarette is at its highest rate on record at 94 per cent.
In South Australia, 106,500 vapes worth more than $4.5 million have been seized by state authorities.
Across the country, South Australia’s nation leading approach to enforcement is working with the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) finding vaping rates among 15 to 29-year-olds in 2024 reduced by around a third when compared to 2023.
Vaping rates among the 30 to 59 age group also dropped by around half, while overall, vaping rates for people aged 15 and above were reduced by more than a third.
Suspensions relating to vaping at South Australian schools dropped by a staggering 50 per cent. In Term 1 of 2023 there were 388 suspensions compared to 186 in Term 1 of 2024. A trend of greater than 50 per cent has continued throughout terms 2 and 3 of 2024 compared to 2023.
''This latest data is promising, but we know this will require a sustained effort from all levels of government, parents, schools, health professionals and members of the community.
Young Australians who vape are significantly more likely to take up cigarette smoking. That’s why the Albanese government is taking such strong action, to prevent future generations from the serious health harms of vaping and smoking.
We continue to significantly invest in ensuring young people understand the harms of vaping, smoking and nicotine addiction to spark this conversation.'' the government stated
Tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable death in Australia and is estimated to kill more than 24,000 Australians a year.
People interested in quitting smoking or vaping should speak to their healthcare practitioner, visit quit.org.au for support or download the My QuitBuddy app.
Minister for Health, The Hon. Mark Butler MP said:
“Twelve months on from the commencement of the vaping reform legislation, we remain resolute in our work to enforce the vape reforms and educating Australians on the health harms of vaping.
“Vaping rates skyrocketed in the five years before these reforms, particularly among young people.
“Vaping rates for young Australians have now turned the corner.
“Our education and prevention campaigns as well as support to deter people from taking up vaping and smoking or to quit are making a difference.
“It may take time to see a big decrease in vaping and smoking, but we are here for the long haul for a healthier Australia.”