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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Jordyn Beazley

Nicotine use soars by 40% in eight years as Australian black market explodes

Multiple cigarette butts with orange filters are stubbed out in a black ashtray
In 2017, only 12% of the total tobacco consumed was from illicit sources. By 2025, that had risen to 80%. Photograph: Jenny Kane/AP

Australians are consuming more nicotine than they were eight years ago but are spending less, new data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows, as 80% of the cigarettes smoked by the nation last year were cheaper illegal products.

The analysis released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) on Wednesday showed the amount of nicotine consumed around the country soared by 40% between 2017 and 2025, despite population growth rising by just 14%.

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