Background: NSW Health through its effector arm the Area Health Services (AHS) has statutory obligations in respect of sales to minors, tobacco display advertising at point of sale (by tobacco retailers) and smoke free environments (enclosed public places) in NSW. There are approximately 17,000 tobacco retailers and 4,600 licensed premises proprietors in NSW. Approximately sixty Environmental Health Officers are employed in Public Health Units located in eight AHS to enforce provisions of the Public Health Act 1991 and Smoke-free Environment Act 2000. Many Area Health Services historically developed individual databases of tobacco retailers to assist in compliance activities.

Strategy: The need for a centralised database was identified to facilitate compliance monitoring by maintaining an accurate record tobacco retail proprietors (and premises) and hospitality premises (clubs and pubs). The data base would also insure consistent practice of monitoring across the state and enable stronger partnerships with other regulatory partners such as local councils. The intranet database enables near “real time” monitoring of activity at a local, Area Health Service and State basis. In addition the NSW Government has announced the introduction of a Notification Scheme for retailers that will be introduced as part of amendments to the NSW Public Health Act 1991 to be introduced during 2007. For ease of notification, tobacco retailers will be linked via internet to the NSW Food Authority database.

Conclusion: The introduction of the database has complemented the increased enhancement of funding and training to AHS to increase their regulatory activity of tobacco legislation.