Originally posted by UQ News on 18 September 2025: https://news.uq.edu.au/2025-09-new-reforms-tackle-illicit-tobacco-trade
Analysis
New reforms to tackle illicit tobacco trade
18 September 2025
2 minute read
(Photo credit: Olexandr/Adobe Stock. )
A new Bill introduced this week in Parliament will bring further reforms to tobacco retailing in Queensland.
The measures in this Bill will significantly increase the ability of Queensland Health to address the problem of illicit tobacco sales.
This is a serious crime and public health issue that was able to expand because previous laws weren’t equipped to deal with this issue.
These new measures along with those that have been implemented over the past 12 months, such as substantial on-the-spot fines for illicit tobacco offences, go a long way to bringing this criminal activity under control.
The increase in the powers of the chief executive to close retailing businesses that are operating illegally for up to 3 months without a court order or 12 months with a court order will help to shut these businesses down more quickly.
There are also strong penalties for continuing to operate once a closure order is in place.
The measures for landlords are important.
These amendments will enable landlords to quickly evict tenants who sell illegal tobacco and nicotine products from their properties.
However, they also compel landlords to take this action once they become aware of illegal tobacco and nicotine product sales at their rented properties.
So, landlords who turn a blind eye and indirectly profit from this illegal trade will be on notice that they are also going to be held responsible and may face criminal charges if they don’t take action.
There are also measures to improve monitoring and enforcement operations to better detect retailers who are selling tobacco products illegally and to act swiftly, such as allowing enforcement staff to confiscate all tobacco products on a premises where illegal products are found rather than having to determine the status of each product that is seized, which can be a time-consuming process.
These new measures represent excellent progress and in protecting the health of Queenslanders from these illegal sales that are also funding other serious crimes.
However, this is a fast-moving and well-resourced criminal activity and further reforms will be needed to secure the retail sector from the crime groups behind these cheap tobacco products.
For example, it has been identified that private ATMs operating within these businesses enable cash sales and facilitate money laundering. Like the provisions for landlords, ATM operators should also be held responsible for profiting from this crime.
Where a retailing business is identified as being involved in the illicit tobacco market, any other businesses, including ATM operators who are operating in connection to the business should be notified about the status of the retailing business.
If they fail to remove the ATM or other business equipment from the premises, they should be able to be charged with an offence.
I am also aware that some illegally traded tobacco products are being sold in packaging that resembles the required health warnings but at less than the amount of taxes required to be paid on the product.
Queensland and all other states and territories should implement a minimum retail sales price to better catch those retailers who sell untaxed products. This could be a condition placed on all retailer licences.
Capping and reducing the number of tobacco retailers in Queensland is also needed to prevent criminal groups from simply applying for a new tobacco retail licence under another name when they lose a retail licence through suspension or cancellation.
Further controls on who can operate a tobacco retailing business are also needed to secure the tobacco supply chain and to remove dodgy operators from this sector.
