According to The Guardian, Australia’s tobacco excise rate has tripled in the past decade, from 46c to $1.40 per cigarette, accounting for $28 of the average $40 price for a packet of 20 cigarettes.
This has led economists to suggest either a freeze or a cut to the excise rate while Australia cracks down on illicit tobacco.
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) estimates about a fifth of tobacco for sale is now illegal, and the tax has contributed to the halving of smoking rates over the past two decades.
