Enforcement Challenges Across States Highlighted
Retailers are urging the Albanese Government to take decisive action on illicit tobacco, criticizing federal policies as the root of the ongoing crisis. The National Illicit Tobacco Ladder has been released, showing how states rank based on their enforcement efforts.
According to the Australian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS), federal government’s excise hikes have worsened the issue, leaving states to manage an unwinnable battle against illegal tobacco.
“Pitting the states against each other in the war on illegal tobacco is pointless because this is a crisis that was created by the Federal Government with its back-to-back excise hikes,” emphasised AACS CEO Theo Foukkare.
State Responses to Illicit Tobacco Vary
Queensland has been ranked first and the Northern Territory last in their responses to illicit tobacco, according to the National Illicit Tobacco Ladder released by the Australian Council on Smoking and Health. These rankings highlight the varied success of state-level enforcement measures.
“The states can never win the war on illicit tobacco when the Albanese Government refuses to cut the sky-high excise that started this conflict in the first place,” Foukkare stressed.
Enforcement alone is insufficient without addressing the price gap between legal and illegal tobacco products, the report indicates. Calls for federal policy changes have been joined by the Police Federation of Australia and Border Force.
It has become clear following the release of the rankings that the current approach is inadequate. The Senate inquiry into the Illegal Tobacco Crisis continues to be a critical platform for stakeholders advocating a federal response.
The AACS insists that the federal government must acknowledge its role in creating the conditions for the black market to thrive. “This isn’t a chicken or an egg situation,” explained Foukkare. “We know what came first. Federal Labour raised the tobacco excise so high it created the conditions for organised crime to thrive.”
Focus should not solely be on state actions as a result. The response to the Senate inquiry into the Illegal Tobacco Crisis indicates a growing consensus among various groups, including the Police Federation of Australia, that federal policy adjustments are necessary.
Last updated: 20 April 2026, 11:19 pm
