Black market now sells over half of Australia's cigarettes
More than 50 per cent of tobacco consumed in Australia is now bought illegally, up from about 10 per cent a decade ago.
Why it mattersWhen a policy's success creates a bigger problem, government has to choose: keep the rule and lose revenue, or fold and give in to the black market. Either way, someone loses.
AustraliaCoalition and One Nation now back cutting the tobacco excise by up to 80 per cent, a shift driven by the black market's scale. If the government acts, legal cigarette prices could drop below $20, shifting the entire tax strategy.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
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