Public Health (Tobacco) (Amendment) Act 2004

Taking of samples by authorised officers.

18.—The Principal Act is amended by the substitution of the following section for section 50:

“50.—(1) Where an authorised officer takes a sample of a tobacco product or a sample of any substance or article used in the manufacturing, processing or storage of tobacco products, he or she shall divide the sample into 3 approximately equal parts, and place each part into separate containers which he or she shall forthwith seal and mark in such a manner as to identify it as part of the sample taken by that authorised officer.

(2) Where an authorised officer has complied with subsection (1) he or she shall—

(a) offer one of the sealed containers to the owner or person for the time being in charge or possession of the tobacco product, substance or article from which the sample concerned was taken,

(b) retain one of the sealed containers, and

(c) forward, or cause to be forwarded, one of the sealed containers to a designated laboratory for the purposes of analysis.

(3) Where a tabacco product, or any substance or article used in the manufacturing, processing or storage of a tobacco product is contained in a container and its division into parts is (for whatever reason) not practicable, an authorised officer, who wishes to take samples of such tobacco product, substance or article for the purposes of analysis, shall take possession of 3 such containers belonging to the same batch, and each such container shall be deemed to be part of a sample for the purposes of subsection (1), and the provisions of subsections (1) and (2) shall apply thereto accordingly.”.