Smoking in Australia

Apr 23, 2026 - 06:34
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Smoking in Australia

← Previous revision Revision as of 01:03, 23 April 2026
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The [[Illicit cigarette trade|illicit tobacco]] market has been a major component of the overall tobacco market in Australia, with an industry report estimating that 28.6% of tobacco consumed in Australia in 2023 was illicit, higher than in any other year beginning in 2009,{{cite report |author= |date=May 2024 |title=Illicit Tobacco in Australia 2023 |url=https://www.pmi.com/resources/docs/default-source/australia-market/fti-consulting-illicit-tobacco-in-australia-2023.pdf |work= |location= |publisher= |docket= |access-date=19 March 2025}} however the accuracy of industry estimates has been questioned by some scholars.{{cite journal |last1=Puljević |first1=Cheneal |last2=King |first2=Michael |last3=Meciar |first3=Isabel |last4=Gartner |first4=Coral |title=Smoking out Australia's growing illicit tobacco market: Current trends and future challenges |journal=International Journal of Drug Policy |date=May 2024 |volume=127 |doi=10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104424 |doi-access=free |pmid=38614017 }}{{cite web |last1=Cho |first1=A |last2=Bayly |first2=M |last3=Scollo |first3=MM |editor-last1=Greenhalgh |editor-first1=EM |editor-last2=Scollo |editor-first2=MM |editor-last3=Winstanley |editor-first3=MH |title=13A.3 Industry estimates of the extent of illicit trade in tobacco |url=https://www.tobaccoinaustralia.org.au/chapter-13-taxation/indepth-13a-avoidance-and-evasion-of-taxes-on-tobacco-products/13a-3-the-role-of-tobacco-industry-in-estimating-the-extent-of-illicit-trade |website=Tobacco in Australia |publisher=Cancer Council Victoria |access-date=19 March 2025 |location=Melbourne |date=2025}} Some experts believe the increase in illicit tobacco use in Australia is directly due to tobacco excise tax increases,{{cite news |last1=Lorigan |first1=Mike |last2=Thomas-Sam |first2=Alysia |title=Black market cigarettes openly purchased in Melbourne as legal tobacco trade plummets |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-09-10/tobacco-trade-plummets-black-market-cigarette-popularity-grows/104329276 |access-date=19 March 2025 |work=ABC News |date=10 September 2024}} while others believe the exact relationship between tax increases and illicit tobacco use is uncertain.
The [[Illicit cigarette trade|illicit tobacco]] market has been a major component of the overall tobacco market in Australia, with an industry report estimating that 28.6% of tobacco consumed in Australia in 2023 was illicit, higher than in any other year beginning in 2009,{{cite report |author= |date=May 2024 |title=Illicit Tobacco in Australia 2023 |url=https://www.pmi.com/resources/docs/default-source/australia-market/fti-consulting-illicit-tobacco-in-australia-2023.pdf |work= |location= |publisher= |docket= |access-date=19 March 2025}} however the accuracy of industry estimates has been questioned by some scholars.{{cite journal |last1=Puljević |first1=Cheneal |last2=King |first2=Michael |last3=Meciar |first3=Isabel |last4=Gartner |first4=Coral |title=Smoking out Australia's growing illicit tobacco market: Current trends and future challenges |journal=International Journal of Drug Policy |date=May 2024 |volume=127 |doi=10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104424 |doi-access=free |pmid=38614017 }}{{cite web |last1=Cho |first1=A |last2=Bayly |first2=M |last3=Scollo |first3=MM |editor-last1=Greenhalgh |editor-first1=EM |editor-last2=Scollo |editor-first2=MM |editor-last3=Winstanley |editor-first3=MH |title=13A.3 Industry estimates of the extent of illicit trade in tobacco |url=https://www.tobaccoinaustralia.org.au/chapter-13-taxation/indepth-13a-avoidance-and-evasion-of-taxes-on-tobacco-products/13a-3-the-role-of-tobacco-industry-in-estimating-the-extent-of-illicit-trade |website=Tobacco in Australia |publisher=Cancer Council Victoria |access-date=19 March 2025 |location=Melbourne |date=2025}} Some experts believe the increase in illicit tobacco use in Australia is directly due to tobacco excise tax increases,{{cite news |last1=Lorigan |first1=Mike |last2=Thomas-Sam |first2=Alysia |title=Black market cigarettes openly purchased in Melbourne as legal tobacco trade plummets |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-09-10/tobacco-trade-plummets-black-market-cigarette-popularity-grows/104329276 |access-date=19 March 2025 |work=ABC News |date=10 September 2024}} while others believe the exact relationship between tax increases and illicit tobacco use is uncertain.


According to tobacco industry estimates, in 2023, the most common international brand of manufactured illicit tobacco in Australia was [[Manchester (cigarette)|Manchester]], accounting for 4.6% of total manufactured cigarette consumption including legal tobacco, followed by [[Double Happiness (cigarette)|Double Happiness]] with 3.3% of total consumption. This was in contrast to the previous year, in which Double Happiness accounted for 4.7% of consumption and Manchester accounted for 1.9% of consumption.
According to tobacco industry estimates, in 2023, the most common international brand of manufactured illicit tobacco in Australia was [[Manchester (cigarette)|Manchester]], accounting for 4.6% of total manufactured cigarette consumption including legal tobacco, followed by [[Double Happiness (cigarette)|Double Happiness]] with 3.3% of total consumption. This was in contrast to the previous year, in which Double Happiness accounted for 4.7% of consumption and Manchester Cigarettes accounted for 1.9% of consumption.


The increase in the size of the Australian illicit tobacco trade led to violent disputes between rivalling criminal gangs involved in the trade, with the [[Melbourne tobacco wars]] in particular gaining notoriety.{{cite news |last1=Oakes |first1=Dan |last2=Clark |first2=Mayeta |last3=Robb |first3=Kirsten |title=Tracking Australia's black-market tobacco from criminal smugglers to cigarette shops |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-03/black-market-tobacco-manchester-cigarettes-four-corners/104978592 |access-date=19 March 2025 |work=ABC News |date=3 March 2025}} The [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] (ABC) reported as part of its [[Four Corners (Australian TV program)|''Four Corners'']] program that arson incidents in [[Victoria (state)|Victoria]] related to illicit tobacco occurred on average twice weekly in 2024. In October 2023, [[Victoria Police]] established Taskforce Lunar as part of enforcement regarding arson and other crimes linked to the illicit tobacco trade.{{cite report |author= |date=October 2024 |title=Victoria Police Annual Report 2023-24 |url=https://www.police.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2024-10/Victoria-Police-Annual-Report-2023-24-Accessible.pdf |work= |location=Docklands |publisher=Victoria Police |docket= |access-date=19 March 2025}} By mid-2024, the taskforce had made 68 arrests and seized cash and illicit tobacco worth over three million [[Australian dollar]]s in total, according to the police annual report. In [[South Australia]], the ABC reported that nineteen firebombings occurred in [[Adelaide]] between early July and early November 2024.{{cite news |last1=Masters |first1=Emma |last2=Brown |first2=Oliver |title=Tobacco stores firebombed in Adelaide as organised crime networks battle to control illicit trade |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-11-05/tobacco-wars-arson-attacks-organised-crime-adelaide/104557760 |access-date=19 March 2025 |work=ABC News |date=5 November 2024}}
The increase in the size of the Australian illicit tobacco trade led to violent disputes between rivalling criminal gangs involved in the trade, with the [[Melbourne tobacco wars]] in particular gaining notoriety.{{cite news |last1=Oakes |first1=Dan |last2=Clark |first2=Mayeta |last3=Robb |first3=Kirsten |title=Tracking Australia's black-market tobacco from criminal smugglers to cigarette shops |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-03/black-market-tobacco-manchester-cigarettes-four-corners/104978592 |access-date=19 March 2025 |work=ABC News |date=3 March 2025}} The [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] (ABC) reported as part of its [[Four Corners (Australian TV program)|''Four Corners'']] program that arson incidents in [[Victoria (state)|Victoria]] related to illicit tobacco occurred on average twice weekly in 2024. In October 2023, [[Victoria Police]] established Taskforce Lunar as part of enforcement regarding arson and other crimes linked to the illicit tobacco trade.{{cite report |author= |date=October 2024 |title=Victoria Police Annual Report 2023-24 |url=https://www.police.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2024-10/Victoria-Police-Annual-Report-2023-24-Accessible.pdf |work= |location=Docklands |publisher=Victoria Police |docket= |access-date=19 March 2025}} By mid-2024, the taskforce had made 68 arrests and seized cash and illicit tobacco worth over three million [[Australian dollar]]s in total, according to the police annual report. In [[South Australia]], the ABC reported that nineteen firebombings occurred in [[Adelaide]] between early July and early November 2024.{{cite news |last1=Masters |first1=Emma |last2=Brown |first2=Oliver |title=Tobacco stores firebombed in Adelaide as organised crime networks battle to control illicit trade |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-11-05/tobacco-wars-arson-attacks-organised-crime-adelaide/104557760 |access-date=19 March 2025 |work=ABC News |date=5 November 2024}}
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