Smoking out Australia's growing illicit tobacco market: Current trends and future challenges

Cheneal Puljević; Michael King; Isabel Meciar; Coral Gartner

doi:10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104424

Smoking out Australia's growing illicit tobacco market: Current trends and future challenges

Int J Drug Policy. 2024 Apr 12:127:104424. doi: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104424. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Cheneal Puljević¹, Michael King², Isabel Meciar³, Coral Gartner³

Affiliations

¹ NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence on Achieving the Tobacco Endgame, School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. Electronic address: c.puljevic@uq.edu.au.
² NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence on Achieving the Tobacco Endgame, School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; Australian Graduate School of Policing and Security, Charles Sturt University, Australia.
³ NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence on Achieving the Tobacco Endgame, School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.

PMID: 38614017
DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104424

Abstract

Data from the Australian Taxation Office and Australian Border Force show notable recent increases in illicit tobacco seizures across Australia. The illicit tobacco market results in substantial losses in tax revenue, funds organised crime, and perpetuates tobacco use, threatening to undermine Australia's ability to achieve its national commercial tobacco endgame goal of 5 % or less smoking prevalence by 2030. This commentary discusses recent trends in Australia's illicit tobacco trade, reasons why this is of concern, potential drivers of Australians' illicit tobacco use, and policy measures that could be implemented to mitigate increasing illicit tobacco trade such as implementing a track and trace system, increased investment in the Australian Border Force to enhance detection of illicit tobacco shipments at Australia's borders, and encouraging public tip-offs of illicit tobacco sales.

Keywords: Australia; Crime; Illicit tobacco trade.