Victoria's illicit tobacco crackdown starts in Melbourne, misses regional shops
Victoria's first wave of illicit tobacco store closures shut 22 Melbourne shops but zero regional stores in the opening enforcement round.
Victoria's government launched a tobacco crackdown on September 9. The government promised to close shops and name offenders.
The first round of closures was published on September 18. A total of 22 Melbourne shops were shut.
Tobacco Licensing Victoria said all had sold illicit tobacco. Twelve also sold tobacco without a licence.
No regional stores were closed in this first round. Bendigo had illegal tobacco sales but saw no action.
The authority said the next closures would come within seven days.
- 22
- Melbourne shops closed
- 0
- Regional shops closed
- $4.1 to $6.9 billion
- Crime earnings from illicit trade
- More than half sold in Australia
- Illegal tobacco share
Why it mattersIllicit tobacco costs Australia $4.1 to $6.9 billion in crime money and undoes decades of work to cut smoking. Uneven enforcement means different regions face different pressure.
AustraliaRegional Victoria businesses selling illicit tobacco remain open while Melbourne outlets close, raising questions about whether the crackdown will reach smaller regional cities.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 6 d ago
