“Toxic addiction”: New look for Australian cigarettes could fuel black market tobacco

Manufacturers have until April 2025 to give cigarettes a new look, in order for them to be sold in Australia. However, insiders believe the move will only push smokers to black market tobacco.

Individual cigarettes must have health warnings printed on the butt by April next year in order to be sold in Australia — a move insiders say will push more smokers to black market tobacco.

Industry sources fear manufacturers will not be able to overhaul their supply chains in time to create new government required cigarettes released for consultation on October 30 and due in just five months.

If manufacturers fail to meet the deadline as expected — Australia will see a period where not a single legal cigarette would be available on shelves.

The new guidelines require different warnings to be circulated across cigarettes including “toxic addiction”, “poison in every puff”, “causes 16 cancers” and “damages your lungs”.

Warning labels were announced in Canada in August 2023 with manufacturers having until July 2024 to put them on all kingsize cigarettes and until April 2025 for regular size cigarettes and little cigars.

Health Minister Mark Butler flagged a similar policy in November 2022 but the draft regulations were not released until October 30 with ten days for consultation.

Manufacturers have until April 1, 2025 to produce the new look cigarettes.

Australian Association of Convenience Stores chief executive Theo Foukkare said printing on the cigarettes itself would require manufacturers to buy new equipment and overhaul their processes to meet Australian guidelines.

“If you were to print one message on a cigarette stick it’s somewhat achievable but we have to reconfigure,” he said.

“Retailers won’t be able to buy compliant products until their suppliers can provide that.

“This isn’t about saying we don’t want to do this, it’s that we can’t do it in the time frame.”

Mr Foukkare said the AACS supported the government’s initiative designed to deter more people from smoking but the “time frame to deliver this are unrealistic”.

There will be a three month transition period from April 1 where shops can sell existing stock of cigarettes without warnings to customers but cannot purchase any new cigarettes without warning from manufacturers.

Health warnings on Canadian cigarette. Picture: Heath Canada

Under questioning from Nationals Senator Matt Canavan, Health Department Secretary Dr Liz Develin told Senate Estimates last week did not answer if the department had analysed the impact of this policy on illicit tobacco.

“The role of the department … is to continue the best measures possible to avoid people taking smoking, whether that is legal or illegal,” she said.

Finance Minister Katy Gallagher jumped in and said it was not the health department’s “job”.

Mr Canavan said there was a “clear and understandable risk” that people would turn to illegal cigarettes.

“If there is an interruption to the supply of legal tobacco, it would push people to illicit tobacco,” he said.

Theo Foukkare, Director of Australian Association of Convenience Stores pictured in Barangaroo today. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

“Rushing the implementation of this, maybe not allowing manufacturers to response in time could lead to greater use of illicit tobacco.

“A big reason why organised crime is well-funded in this country is because illicit tobacco is very, very lucrative.”
Minister Butler said Australia needed to “reclaim its position as a world leader on tobacco control”.

“After a decade of delay and inaction, the gains of Labor’s world-leading plain packaging reforms were squandered by the Liberals and the poorest and most marginalised Australians paid the price,” he said.

“In 2022 I announced plans to introduce new legislation to bring down smoking rates.”

Originally published as “Toxic addiction”: New look for Australian cigarettes could fuel black market tobacco