Australian youth hooked on illegal smokes as government drops ball
Image: Huseyn Memmedli @wou1000 via Unsplash
A new survey reveals that the youth in Australia have normalised buying illicit tobacco thanks to a weak legal framework and poor enforcement to control sale and supply, significantly undermining progress in tobacco control and public health initiatives.
The study, conducted by Cancer Council NSW in collaboration with the University of Sydney and the Daffodil Centre, points out the illicit market comprised more than half of Australia’s total tobacco market. An explosion in black market sales worth about US$4 billion a year costs the fiscus up to US$8.4 billion in annual tax revenue.
The main driver appears to be youth purchases of illicit tobacco products. The study analysed national survey results from 232 participants aged 18-24 done at six-month intervals, and interviews and focus groups conducted every 12 months. It found nearly 80% of tobacco purchases by young Australians are likely to be illicit.
Focus group discussions revealed participants were motivated by price and tended to buy the cheapest tobacco products on offer, even when they knew they weren’t legal. The study pointed out that this was substantially higher than the most recent illicit tobacco consumption estimate of 50-60% that did not differentiate according to age, a likely reflection of “young adults being a more price-sensitive demographic than older adults”.
Illicit products used by young adults included fully branded packs without health warnings, mostly sold by easily accessible tobacconists, milk bars and corner shops, with a very small proportion of participants reporting buying illicit products online.
The study, which was released earlier this month, comes at a time when big tobacco companies are placing pressure on legislators to water down government measures to curb smoking, including taxes. The study’s chief investigator, Professor Becky Freeman, told The Guardian lower taxes would also push down the price of illicit cigarettes. “Making all cigarettes cheaper, both taxed and illicit products, will in no way improve public safety or public health,” she said.
The youth market has become increasingly important for tobacco companies battling with declining sales. Research conducted by Blueprint for Free Speech, to be released later this year, supports expert warnings that the industry is deliberately targeting the rapidly growing youth market in less developed countries in particular, where lobbying efforts to water down and delay tobacco control legislation has paid off thanks to close ties with political elites.
