Coalition plan to cut tobacco excise by 80% ‘will kill people’ Labor says amid public health alarm
Angus Taylor and Matt Canavan claim drastic cut to price of cigarettes and moves to legalise vapes will combat illicit tobacco trade Leading public health experts, the Australian Medical Association and Labor have rejected Angus Taylor’s plan to cut tobacco excise by 80%, labelling the move to curb soaring illegal cigarette sales as a backward step on tobacco control. Taylor and Nationals leader…
Opposition leaders Angus Taylor and Matt Canavan have unveiled plans to slash tobacco excise by 80%, sparking alarm among public health experts. The move would drastically reduce the price of cigarettes, from around $30 to $6 for a packet of 20, in an effort to combat the illicit tobacco trade. The Coalition government also intends to legalize and regulate vapes and nicotine pouches, spending $200 million on law enforcement to address illicit sales.
Leading public health organizations, including the Australian Medical Association and Labor, reject the Coalition's proposal, arguing it would undermine decades of efforts to control tobacco use and could even increase smoking rates. WHO experts and health professionals emphasize that raising tobacco taxes is the most effective way to reduce demand and combat the global tobacco epidemic.
Written by urgent.news from The Guardian's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
Also reported by 3 other outlets
- Afternoon Update: Coalition tobacco plan lambasted, Queensland coal project approved by new EPA, and EVs v holidays theguardian.com
- ‘Reckless’: Coalition’s 80% cigarette tax cut slammed by health experts theage.com.au
- ‘Reckless’: Coalition’s 80% cigarette tax cut slammed by health experts smh.com.au
