{
  "id": 5818573,
  "title": "One Nation, Coalition bank on cheap cigarettes being uncool",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/05/one-nation-coalition-bank-on-cheap-cigarettes-being-uncool",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-05T19:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "ABC News AU",
    "slug": "abc-news-au",
    "url": "https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09-06/smoking-tobacco-excise-coalition-one-nation-black-market/107097648"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Recent polling shows a concerning trend: nicotine consumption among Australian teens has plummeted to near-zero levels, with 26% having experimented with nicotine and 15% considering it. The Coalition, led by Opposition Leader Angus Taylor, has proposed a radical solution to curb this trend: slashing the tobacco excise by 80%, making legal cigarettes more affordable compared to the illegal market. This plan includes funding for law enforcement and a public education campaign, as well as legalizing and taxing vapes and nicotine pouches. However, this proposal has alarmed health advocates and opposition parties, who fear it may inadvertently increase smoking rates and fuel organized crime. The Coalition argues that a lower-priced legal option will be more competitive than the illicit market, but experts warn that this approach could undo progress made in reducing youth vaping rates and result in a public health crisis.",
  "summary": "The Coalition and One Nation will have to prove they believe a generation that has grown up thinking cigarettes are both uncool and expensive will continue to resist when the last of those barriers disappears.",
  "key_points": [
    "26% of Australian teens experimented with nicotine, 15% considering it",
    "Coalition proposes 80% tobacco excise cut to make legal cigarettes cheaper",
    "Health advocates fear increased smoking rates and organized crime"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}