Prohibition of alcohol in America did not work. The policy started with the Eighteenth Constitutional Amendment in 1919 which was abandoned by the Twenty-First Amendment in 1933 after it caused massive criminal problems.
Now Australia is experiencing horrific tobacco wars leadinng to today’s headline in The Australian: “Crime calamity: feds sleep through alarm”
The report states “Australia is trapped in a catastrophic public policy stalemate over a $5bn-a-year tobacco black market and underworld war, spawned by years of steep cigarette tax increases that gifted (what economist Chris Richardson calls) ‘the most rolled-gold opportunity’ for organised crime in the nation’s history.
Despite high-level warnings that the country is on the brink of being unable to extinguish the crisis – which has lead to at least 150 firebombings in the past two years, at least two deaths and the decimation of the taxx on legal cigarettes – Home Affairs Minister Tony burke declared ‘we are not going to let organised crime dictate our health policy.’
…….. experts have labelled the Commonwealth approach to tobacco regulation under both Labor and Coalition governments as ‘the worst example of bad policy’ in the world.”
NSW Labor premier Chris Minns has said, “This would be the only tax in the world where it’s doubled but the rate of revenue has halved ……. it’s being replaced with illegal tobacco.”
According to The Australian “Police Federation Of Australia chief executive Scott Weber said he had warned Labor ministers many times that the Federal government was turning a health issue into a crime issue through its policies.”
Former head of Australian Border Force’s Tobacco Strike Team, Rohan Pike, said, “A tax policy like that is a pseudo prohibition ……. it’s designed to dissuade people from smoking ……. Had a serious enforcement effort been conducted and planned ten years ago, it may have had some effect, but now the market is so entrenched, the criminal supply chains are so entrenched ……. I would suggest it’s impossible to reverse it.”
Federal MP Andrew Hastie has said, “The Albanese Labor Government’s failure to enforce the law has allowed lucrative black and grey markets to take hold across Australia, simultaneously depriving the government of revenue, undermining legitimate retailers, and lining the pockets of criminal enterprises who are operating with impunity in our communities. The time for half-measures is over.”
There is much to be debated here, but one thing is an article of faith for me:
FREEDOM WORKS.
Wowserism, no matter how well intentioned, doesn’t.
Geoff Fox, September 8, 2025, Melbourne, Australia
LEFT BEHIND BY ALBANESE 