The Australian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS) has welcomed the Queensland Government’s proposed laws announced to further tackle the illegal tobacco and vape trade in the state.
AACS CEO Theo Foukkare said that the Crisafulli Government have been very open in listening to all feedback provided by legitimate retailers and that it was great to see law makers aren’t waiting for the issue to continue to spiral further out of control.
“QLD Health Minister Tim Nicholls has listened, acted swiftly and continues to show strong leadership on tackling this national crisis which continues to impact responsible retailers and jeopardise the safety of communities right across the country,” Mr Foukkare said.
“The proposed laws to extend the interim closure orders from three days to three months will further help put an end to the dodgy operators who get raided, have their illegal stock confiscated and are up and trading again in as little as a few hours.”
Mr Foukkare also commended Minister Nicholls for providing protections to landlords to terminate leases held by anyone found to be operating in the illegal black market and to also punish landlords who are knowingly found to be allowing criminals to sell illegal products from their premises.
“The war on illegal tobacco cannot be won by the State Governments doing all the heavy lifting on the ground thought,” Mr Foukkare said.
He reaffirmed his calls for the Federal Government to freeze future tobacco excise increases, including the planned five per cent increased that will see legal tobacco prices rise again in October this year.
“Every time the excise is hiked, more consumers simply transfer from the legal, strictly regulated market to the black market that supports organised crime,” Mr Foukkare said.
“The Albanese Federal Government and Federal Health Minister Mark Butler need to realise that adults who choose to smoke or vape will continue doing so, just illegally, because the price hikes are sending them there.
“The 2024 FTI Consulting report into illegal tobacco consumption – set to be released in a few weeks – confirmed that at least 40 per cent of the illegal tobacco market was run by crime groups during that period, and that number is likely to be closer to 50 per cent right now,” he said.
Mr Foukkare is also calling for the national illegal tobacco crisis to be overseen by National Cabinet as a matter of urgency to act as a circuit breaker for action.
“Things simply cannot continue as they are, otherwise firebombings and crime in communities will only worsen,” he said.
Theo Foukkare is available for interview on 0423 003 133
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