Australian government promotes Queensland model to fight illicit tobacco

The Australian federal government is urging state premiers to adopt a crackdown model used in Queensland to combat the rising illicit tobacco trade. Following a period of intense state-level enforcement, data indicated that legal tobacco sales surged by 55 per cent, remaining 40 to 45 per cent above baseline levels for six months.

To support this initiative, the Commonwealth is injecting an additional $2.7 million into Queensland’s model, bringing the total federal investment in the state’s crackdown to over $18 million. Assistant Minister for Customs Julian Hill stated that sustained street-level enforcement can disrupt illegal markets and drive consumers back to legitimate retailers, noting that closing illicit stores strikes a blow to criminal gangs profiting from the trade.

The push for stricter enforcement comes as illegal cigarette sales have boomed nationwide, driven by high tobacco excise costs. While legal tobacco packets start at approximately $40, the black market offers significantly lower prices. The federal government's strategy aims to contrast with the situations in New South Wales and Victoria, where gang violence and firebombings linked to black-market cigarettes have escalated.