One state's illegal tobacco crackdown is producing striking results
Calls to Quitline more than doubled in the days after major tobacco black market enforcement operations in Queensland, suggesting the crackdown may encourage some smokers to quit.
Queensland's aggressive crackdown on illegal tobacco sales has yielded impressive results, with legal tobacco sales surging 55 percent in the first month after new enforcement laws took effect and remaining 40-45 percent above previous levels for the following six months. Calls to Quitline more than doubled during the 10 days following major enforcement operations, indicating the crackdown may be motivating some smokers to quit.
The federal government is likely to highlight Queensland's success as it defends against calls to reduce the tobacco excise to make legal cigarettes more competitive with the black market. Legal cigarette sales in Queensland rose sharply following the state's stronger powers to shut illegal shops, while the national market remained largely flat.
Queensland Health has issued over 300 closure orders since November last year, leading to more than 1,000 illicit tobacco shops being shuttered across Australia. The state's intensified efforts, employing licensing regimes, closure orders, landlord penalties, and street-level enforcement, have contributed to the success. This approach is expected to generate $89 million in additional tobacco excise revenue and $11 million in GST gains over two years, potentially covering enforcement costs.
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