Politics · Australia · 1 day ago
Australia has fewer smokers, but its illegal tobacco market is growing
Australia has cut its smoking rate by more than half over the past 15 years.
Official figures say 5.6% of people aged 14 and older smoke daily, down from 8.3% in 2022.
But legal cigarettes are expensive, and illegal ones can be bought for much less.
Police say criminal groups control about 80% of the tobacco trade, and rival gangs have been linked to arson attacks and killings.
The government also loses billions in tax revenue.
Addiction expert Alex Wodak says strict limits on alternatives, including vapes, help drive people to illegal sellers; vapes require a doctor’s certificate, and nicotine pouches have been illegal since July.
Other experts warn that vaping can harm health and may lead people to smoking.
The government has not accepted Wodak’s call for a more open approach to nicotine alternatives.
Australia’s daily smoking rate has fallen from 8.3% in 2022 to 5.6%, according to official statistics.
At the same time, illegal tobacco sales have grown, with police saying criminal organisations control around 80% of the trade.
The illegal market has been linked to arson attacks between rival gangs and murders in Melbourne.
Addiction expert Alex Wodak criticises restrictions on vaping and other non-combustible nicotine products, saying they help fuel the illegal market.
Other experts warn that vaping can be a gateway to smoking and also poses health risks.
- Who
- Australia’s government is pursuing anti-smoking policies; addiction expert Alex Wodak and independent MP Allegra Spender are among the critics.
- What
- Smoking rates have fallen, while illegal tobacco trading has grown.
- When
- Daily smoking fell from 8.3% in 2022 to 5.6% in the latest official statistics cited in the article.
- Where
- Australia, including Sydney and Melbourne.
- Why
- Wodak argues that restrictions on nicotine products leave demand to be met by illegal suppliers. Other experts warn that vaping poses health risks.
Alex Wodak and policy critics
Australian government and experts warning about vaping
Nicotine alternatives
Alex Wodak and policy critics
Wodak supports open access to tobacco substitutes, saying they can help people stop smoking; Spender says the prohibition policy has gone wrong.
Australian government and experts warning about vaping
The government maintains restrictions, including requiring a doctor’s certificate to buy vapes; other experts warn that vaping can be a gateway to smoking and poses health risks.
Illegal trade
Alex Wodak and policy critics
Wodak says restrictions help create an illegal market by leaving demand for nicotine products unmet through legal channels.
Australian government and experts warning about vaping
The article describes the government’s anti-smoking strategy and restrictions but does not state its response to Wodak’s criticism.
Australia was once the global role model for the fight against tobacco. The prohibition policy has gone wrong.
Society had to learn then that one cannot simply pretend that there is no demand for drugs.
When people with addictions have a choice, most opt for a controlled drug and a safer form of consumption.
Official statistics cited in the article said 8.3% of Australians aged 14 and over smoked daily.
Nicotine pouches became illegal in Australia.
The daily smoking rate was 5.6%.
- Daily smoking rate in 2022
- 8.3% of Australians aged 14 and over
- Latest daily smoking rate
- 5.6%
- Criminal organisations’ share of tobacco trade
- Around 80%, according to police
- Legal cigarette price in Kings Cross
- At least the equivalent of 25 Swiss francs per pack
- Illegal cigarette price in Kings Cross
- Less than 10 Swiss francs per pack
Sources
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