Australia hasn't banned cigarettes due to concerns about creating large black markets, significant government revenue loss, and balancing public health goals with personal choice, instead focusing on strict controls like plain packaging, higher taxes, and flavor bans (menthol) to reduce appeal, especially for youth, under new laws starting in 2025. While a total ban is discussed, the current strategy aims to make tobacco less desirable and harder to access through regulation rather than prohibition, though illicit trade is a growing concern.
In 2025, tobacco products sold in Australia will look different, taste different, feel different, be called something different, and will only be available in specific sizes and packaging. These changes are a requirement of Australia's new tobacco laws, which aim to protect Australians from the health harms of smoking.
Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death and disease in Australia, with two in three long-term Australian smokers dying prematurely. Smoking causes many types of cancer, heart disease and stroke, chest and lung illnesses and stomach ulcers.
Health risks
Some contain high levels of nicotine, which can lead to side effects or overdose. They are not made to Australian standards and their safety hasn't been checked. They may contain unknown and dangerous ingredients. Nicotine is highly addictive, especially for young people.
While smoking is harmful and can have negative health effects, individuals should still have the freedom to choose whether or not to smoke. Banning smoking in public places would infringe on personal freedom.
Since 2004, countries including Norway, New Zealand, Uruguay, Malta, Italy, Sweden, Scotland, Bhutan, Lithuania, and the British Virgin Islands have gone smoke-free, protecting the health of millions by banning smoking in public places.
Apart from reducing human suffering, abolishing the sale of cigarettes would result in savings in the realm of healthcare costs, increased labour productivity, lessened harms from fires, reduced consumption of scarce physical resources, and a smaller global carbon footprint.
In Australia, adults 18 years and over can access therapeutic vapes from pharmacies without a prescription, but those under 18 must have a prescription - where state and territory laws allow.
Penalties for illegal cigarettes in Australia are severe and increasing, with hefty fines and potential jail time, especially for commercial quantities, including up to 7 years imprisonment and $1.54 million fines in NSW for serious offences. Penalties vary by state but generally involve large fines for individuals and corporations, closure orders for premises, and even jail for major traffickers, reflecting a national crackdown on illicit tobacco.
Many studies show that vaping is far less harmful than smoking. This is because e-cigarettes don't contain cancer-causing tobacco, and most of the toxic chemicals found in cigarettes are not in e-cigarettes. Some potentially harmful chemicals have been found in e-cigarettes.
Furthermore, outside the largest cities in China, smoking is considered socially acceptable anywhere at any time, even if it is technically illegal. Smoking is a social custom in the PRC, and giving cigarettes at any social interaction is a sign of respect and friendliness.
The use of bush tobacco varies across regions but seems to be most common within Aboriginal populations in the central desert regions of Australia. Traditionally a mixture is made using dried leaf and stem with ash, and moistened with saliva (called a quid).
Aniston quit smoking through a combination of methods, including yoga, meditation, exercise, and lifestyle changes. She adopted a holistic approach that addressed both the physical and psychological aspects of nicotine addiction.
In Australia during 2025, a pack of 20 cigarettes typically cost around A$40 to over A$50, with prices climbing due to significant tobacco excise tax increases, with some estimates placing popular brands near A$43 and average prices exceeding A$40, potentially reaching A$50 by 2026. An increase in September 2025 pushed the tax on a pack to nearly A$30.
The 'default' by-law prohibits smoking on common property, but not in private living areas. However, under the default by-law an owner or occupier has an obligation to ensure that smoke from a private living areas does not penetrate common property or any other private space.
The Smoke-free Environment Act 2000 makes a number of outdoor public places smoke-free. Smoking is banned within 4 metres of a pedestrian entrance to or exit from a public building in NSW. This law is called the '4 metre law'.
Where is the tax highest? The following chart shows the countries where the total tax on cigarettes is the highest percentage of the final price. The data is taken from the latest available year, 2014. Bosnia and Herzegovina emerges on top, with 86% of the total price of cigarettes made up of tax.
If you do not declare the tobacco you have with you above the duty free allowance, you might be prosecuted or have your visa cancelled. Duty free allowances apply to: visitors. Australian residents.
Australia taxes cigarettes heavily primarily for public health, using high prices as the most effective way to reduce smoking rates, prevent uptake, and account for the significant societal costs (healthcare, lost productivity). The goal is to make tobacco unaffordable and encourage quitting, aligning with national health strategies and international recommendations.
Fines for vaping in Australia vary significantly by state and the specific offense, ranging from on-the-spot fines for using vapes in smoke-free areas (like $300 in NSW) to huge penalties for illegal supply or possession, reaching hundreds of thousands of dollars or even imprisonment for individuals and corporations, especially for nicotine-containing products without a prescription. The laws target commercial supply, making it hard to buy vapes, while personal possession penalties differ by territory, with some states like WA having very high fines and others less severe.
From 1 July 2024: the way Australians can access vapes will change. non-pharmacy retailers, such as tobacconists, vape shops and convenience stores, cannot sell any type of vape. therapeutic vapes will continue to be available from pharmacies where clinically appropriate.
Electronic cigarette use is not considered in the definition of current cigarette smoking or any use of tobacco products. Cigarette smoking and use of any tobacco products do not include the use of electronic cigarettes or other vaping devices to vape nicotine.
10 Countries With the Highest Smoking Rates, Nauru Tops the List
No, smoking even one cigarette a day is not okay and carries significant health risks, especially for heart disease and stroke, with studies showing it increases risk substantially compared to non-smokers, suggesting there's no safe level of smoking. While the risk is lower than heavy smoking, light smoking still causes damage, making quitting entirely the best option for health.
Quitting nicotine can have immediate and long-term benefits for your mood, stress levels, and emotional well-being. Young people who quit often report feeling better and having more good days.