Should Australia Make Cigarettes Cheaper to Stub out the Black Market?
According to the 2026 National Drug Strategy Household Survey, 34 percent of current smokers said they used illicit tobacco, up from 17 percent.
TL;DR
- The percentage of Australian smokers using illicit tobacco has doubled from 17% to 34% in two years.
- Illicit sources now represent 80% of nicotine consumption in Australia, up from 12% in 2017.
- The black market for tobacco has grown substantially, costing the federal budget approximately $6.9 billion.
- These trends are occurring while the daily smoking rate has fallen to an all-time low of 5.6%.