Australia’s growing vaping black market offers a regulatory warning Europe must heed
April 18, 2025 by eu-policies.com
Australia’s growing vaping black market offers a regulatory warning Europe must heed
Released in late March, Australia’s latest federal budget reveals a striking trend: tobacco excise tax revenue has nearly halved since 2019, with projected losses reaching A$10 billion (€5.6 billion) by 2029. Local media investigations over the past month have linked this growing budget deficit to the country’s booming tobacco and nicotine black markets, driven in large part by organised crime. Experts warn that this surge in illicit trade is an unintended consequence of Canberra’s overly restrictive vaping policies.
12.50% of the adult population are current smokers. There are approximately 2.6 million current smokers in Australia 14.80% of men are current smokers but only 10.30% of women.
SOURCE: GSTHR
