Aldred blasts tobacco policy as nicotine consumption surges
Monash MP says organised crime pockets $95 million every five days while the government's $84 million response barely scratches the surface of Australia's booming illicit tobacco trade .
New national wastewater data showing a four per cent rise in nicotine consumption has prompted Federal Member for Monash Mary Aldred to renew her push for a rethink of Australia's tobacco excise settings.
Ms Aldred who co-chairs the Coalition's Illegal Tobacco Taskforce said the National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program's latest report confirmed the federal government's high tobacco taxes were driving consumers to the black market rather than reducing smoking.
"At $6.9 billion a year organised crime is making about $95 million every five days," Ms Aldred said.
"So in less than a week they're banking more than the government's entire announcement."
Ms Aldred was referring to an $84 million federal contribution to the states and territories announced last week to address the illicit tobacco crisis.
"This crisis is entirely policy-made," Ms Aldred said.
"No other developed country has a black market on this scale.
"Australia isn't leading on the world stage we're embarrassing ourselves on it."
The report found nicotine consumption increased nationally between August 2024 and August 2025 with record levels recorded in both capital cities and regional areas.
Regional areas continue to record higher consumption than capital cities with the Northern Territory now recording the highest per capita nicotine consumption in the country.
Australian Association of Convenience Stores chief executive Theo Foukkare said the data confirmed what retailers and communities had been warning about for some time.
"More Australians are consuming nicotine but they're increasingly buying it from the black market instead of regulated retailers," Mr Foukkare said.
"When consumption is rising at the same time legal sales are falling that tells you exactly where the growth is coming from."
Mr Foukkare called on the federal government to release the next major national tobacco product report due by July 30 on time or early so the public could see what was happening.
"You cannot tax your way out of this problem," Mr Foukkare said.
"Excessive excise has created a massive price gap that is fuelling a multi-billion-dollar black market."
The Sentinel-Times has reported extensively on the issue since Ms Aldred raised concerns in parliament earlier this year about a pop-up vape store in Inverloch that was allegedly selling illicit products to minors.
TGA officers and Victoria Police raided the store in late January and seized hundreds of vapes but the outlet remained open despite the raid prompting Ms Aldred to raise the matter in parliament.
She was subsequently appointed co-chair of the Coalition's Illegal Tobacco Taskforce alongside Senator Richard Colbeck.
It is understood the Inverloch store has since closed.
