CIGARETTE INDUSTRY – AUSTRALIA

States attack federal Labor’s tobacco policy

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Original article by Mohammad Alfares, Lachlan Leeming
The Australian – Page: 6 : 12-Nov-25

The federal government is attracting growing criticism over its tobacco policy, including its refusal to reduce excise tax in order to combat the burgeoning black market. Tasmania’s Police Minister Felix Ellis says the federal government’s response to the illegal tobacco trade has been one of the "worst public policy disasters" in the world at present. He adds that Tasmania intends to crack down on the illicit trade, but warns that the issue needs to be addressed at federal level. NSW Health Minister Ryan Park says federal counterpart Mark Butler has ignored his call to reduce the excise tax.

CORPORATES
TASMANIA. DEPT OF JUSTICE, NEW SOUTH WALES. MINISTRY OF HEALTH, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HEALTH, DISABILITY AND AGEING

Illicit tobacco trade worst in the world

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Original article by Mohammad Alfares
The Australian – Page: 5 : 29-Oct-25

British American Tobacco’s chief corporate officer Kingsley Wheaton says criminal gangs have effectively seized control of Australia’s nicotine market. BAT estimates that 65 per cent of all cigarettes now sold in Australia are illegal, and that up to 80 per cent of the nicotine market – including vapes – is controlled by the black market. The London-based executive visited Australia earlier this year, and notes that while the UK has had a long-standing problem with the illegal tobacco trade, the level of criminality in Australia is much worse. Wheaton says the only realistic way to regain control of the tobacco market is to overhaul current policy settings, including a reduction in the federal government’s excise tax on cigarettes; this has risen by 75 per cent since 2019.

CORPORATES
BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO PLC

Tobacco firms suck in $2.2b payday

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Original article by Neil Chenoweth
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 2-Jul-14

Aggressive price increases ahead of the adoption of plain packaging laws allowed tobacco companies to post profit increases of 30 per cent in 2013-14. In the last five years, the profits of the three biggest cigarette makers have climbed by over 100 per cent, to $A2.2 billion. British American Tobacco Australasia, Philip Morris Australia and Imperial Tobacco Australia have resisted increased excise, plain packaging and a drop in smoker numbers via cost-cutting and price rises

CORPORATES
BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO AUSTRALASIA LIMITED, PHILIP MORRIS (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, IMPERIAL TOBACCO AUSTRALIA LIMITED, THE CANCER COUNCIL VICTORIA, RETAIL TOBACCO TRADERS’ ASSOCIATION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY