Australia’s tobacco wars are coming to Britain
October 20, 2025 by spiked-online.com
Australia’s tobacco wars are coming to Britain
Illicit tobacco trade fuels gang violence in Australia due to high taxes and restrictions. The black market thrives, leading to fire-bombings and criminal activity. Illegal tobacco funds organized crime, human trafficking, and terrorism. The UK risks facing similar issues with rising tobacco duty and planned bans. Prohibition exacerbates the problem by empowering criminal networks and harming local businesses. New Zealand abandoned a smoking ban to prevent black market escalation, focusing instead on education and reduced-risk products, resulting in a significant decrease in smoking rates among young teenagers by 2024. It's crucial for governments to address illicit tobacco trade effectively to prevent violence and criminal activities.
11.00% of the adult population are current smokers. There are approximately 2.4 million current smokers in Australia 12.90% of men are current smokers but only 9.30% of women.
SOURCE: GSTHR
