New data has revealed a sharp increase in both smoking and vaping among young Australians, casting serious doubt on the effectiveness of the Albanese Government’s sweeping anti-vape legislation. The figures, released by Roy Morgan, suggest the crackdown may have had minimal impact on curbing overall nicotine use and could even be pushing young people towards more harmful traditional tobacco products.
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Australia is now waging a “de facto war on nicotine” that risks the same failures as previous prohibition-style drug policies, according to some academic experts. They argue that the country’s strategy, characterized by the world’s most expensive legal cigarettes and an effective ban on retail e-cigarette sales, is directly responsible for an explosion in the black market for both products.
Read moreAustralia’s progressively harsh restrictions on vaping products, including a near-total ban on sales outside pharmacies, have failed to curb demand and may be counterproductive to public health, a new expert review published in the Journal of Smoking Cessation concludes. The report, titled ‘A short history of e-cigarette policy in Australia,’ traces how increasingly strict measures have driven vaping underground rather than reducing its use, particularly among young people, while the nation’s smoking rate remains stubbornly high at around 11%.
Read moreSouth Australia has implemented what are being called the nation’s toughest penalties for businesses selling illicit tobacco and vaping products. The new laws, championed by the Malinauskas Labor Government, grant police greater enforcement powers, create new offenses with significantly increased fines for supply and possession, and allow for longer premises closure orders.
Read moreThe Australian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS) is strongly urging the Federal Government to emulate New Zealand’s approach to vape regulation, advocating for regulated retail access to these products as smoking cessation tools. This call follows comments from New Zealand’s Minister for Customs and Associate Minister for Health, Casey Costello, who highlighted her country’s success in reducing both smoking and vaping rates through controlled access.
Read moreIndependent Tasmanian Senator Tammy Tyrrell has launched a campaign demanding a reversal of Australia’s strict vaping restrictions, labeling them “dodgy” and harmful. She states her partner Tim’s health has deteriorated, with a dry, hacking cough returning since he switched back to traditional cigarettes due to the difficulty in accessing vapes.
Read moreNew Regulations Align E-cigarette Rules with Existing Smoking Bans to Protect Workers
Vaping and the use of e-cigarettes, including heated tobacco products, are now officially banned in all enclosed workplaces across Western Australia (WA). The state government has extended existing Work Health and Safety Regulations, which already covered tobacco smoking, to explicitly include these newer nicotine delivery systems.
Read moreChanges Under 2023 Act Aim to Discourage Smoking and Reduce Harm
Smokers across Australia will soon notice significant changes to cigarette and tobacco products as new federal laws under the Public Health (Tobacco and Other Products) Act 2023 take full effect. Retailers are already beginning to stock products compliant with the new regulations, which aim to further reduce smoking rates and protect public health by making tobacco less appealing and informative about quitting.
Read moreAustralia’s recent budgetary woes, with tobacco excise tax revenue nearly halved since 2019 and estimated cumulative losses of A$10 billion (€5.6 billion) by 2029, have been tied to the country’s thriving black markets for tobacco and nicotine products. Experts warn that this illicit trade boom is a direct consequence of Australia’s draconian approach to vaping regulation, which includes limiting the legal sale of vapes to pharmacies and implementing sweeping flavor bans.
Read moreAustralia is grappling with a rapidly expanding illicit tobacco market, a crisis marked by stark price discrepancies, lost tax revenue, and escalating organized crime. While a legal pack of 20 cigarettes costs around AUD $40 due to massive tax hikes, black market alternatives flood the streets for as little as AUD $15. This underground economy isn’t just about cheap smokes; it’s increasingly linked to violent crime, including extortion rackets and arson attacks targeting retailers involved in the trade. This alarming situation raises critical questions: are Australia’s tobacco control policies inadvertently fueling the very problems they aim to solve?
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