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NSW laws target 'dodgy' cosmetic clinics

Cosmetic clinics who flout regulations could face fines of up to $110,000 under new laws in NSW.

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Source: AAP


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Cosmetic clinics in NSW could be fined up to $110,000 if they put clients at risk, under new laws prompted by the death of a woman who underwent a botched breast filler procedure.

The legislation, which passed NSW Parliament on Wednesday, follows a review into the industry following the death of 35-year-old salon owner Jean Huang in August 2017.

Health Minister Brad Hazzard says even though NSW had some of the strongest regulation in the country, unsafe practices were still taking place.

"The new laws will help ensure medicines used in cosmetic treatments are administered safely and anyone performing a high-risk procedure must do so in a licensed facility," he said in a statement.

Anyone who performs a high-risk procedure at an unlicensed facility will be hit with a $55,000 fine, while operators themselves could be fined $110,000 for breaches.

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The laws create a new classification for medicines used in cosmetic procedures, along with tailored rules about their storage, access and use.

Police believe Ms Huang died from an overdose of the local anaesthetic Lignocaine and had high levels of the painkiller Tramadol in her system.

Two women, Yueqiong Fu and Jie Shao, were charged over the incident and have since received bail.

The reforms also follow a case on the state's Central Coast where a so-called "body modifier" was charged with genital mutilation over a procedure he allegedly performed on a woman at a Newcastle business in 2016.

Brendan Russell, 37, appeared in Gosford Local Court last week where a magistrate allowed his bail to continue until his next appearance on July 20.

Court documents allege Russell, who is not a qualified medical practitioner and uses his "modification name" BSlice DotCom on social media, mutilated the woman sometime in 2016 at Newcastle West.


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