Almost four in five young people buying tobacco are choosing illicit products, with easy-to-access convenience stores or tobacconists a major source.
Young people aged 18 to 24 were found to be relying on bricks and mortar locations to source illicit tobacco, a study by the Cancer Council has found.
Of the 232 young people surveyed, more than 150 got their tobacco from a tobacco shop and more than 80 per cent were likely to choose illicit tobacco due to the cheap price.
Nearly 50 respondents bought illegal tobacco from convenience stores while just 13 used an online vendor, of which 11 were illicit.
The study found a sense of legitimacy meant more people were going to physical stores over online outlets.
One woman told the study they only ever bought illicit tobacco due to the price of legal products.
“I refuse to buy legal cigarettes, I sell cigarettes at my (bottle shop), the cheapest we have is $35,” the 19-year-old said.
“I get my cigarettes for $10 a pack, so obviously I’m going to be buying the illegal ones, they’re so cheap.”
While there have been calls to reduce the tax on tobacco products to reduce the difference between legal and illegal projects, Cancer Council’s Public Health Committee chair Anita Dessaix said such a move would only encourage more to take up smoking.
“Decreasing the price of a product that kills two in three people is not a public health solution,” she said.
“Stronger enforcement is needed to shut off illicit tobacco supply, we need to reduce availability in our communities and prevent uptake.
“Ongoing, high-impact public education campaigns are essential to ensure young people understand the harms of smoking and vaping and don’t take it up in the first place.”Study chief investigator Professor Becky Freeman agreed, saying tinkering with the taxes would not make a difference.
“Young people are telling us that the price, paired with ease of access to illicit cigarettes is driving their purchases,” she said.
“In some cases, illicit products are so inexpensive that even getting rid of the tobacco tax entirely would not be enough to ‘compete’ with criminal gang suppliers.”
It comes as WA begins a crackdown on illicit tobacco and vape retailers.
Six stores have been shut down since May 13, when the first tranche of tougher tobacco laws came into effect.
Police and health officials seized 141,817 illegal cigarettes, 5.2 kilograms of loose tobacco and 613 vapes during the crackdown.
Police Minister Reece Whitby warned the crackdown was only the beginning.
“These laws send a very clear and extremely serious message — if you are selling illicit tobacco in Western Australia, you will be caught and shut down,” he said.
“Our first days of action have caused a major impact on the illicit tobacco trade, which is directly linked to organised crime, so let this be a warning to anyone else involved — we’re only getting started.
“These powers are now fully operational and authorities will be knocking on your door, targeting anyone who is selling or storing illicit tobacco in stores across our State.”
