Australia’s state governments must set an end date for the sale of cigarettes through retailers including supermarkets, public health experts say.
In an article published in the Medical Journal of Australia on Monday, researchers from the University of Queensland said anti-smoking measures such as plain-packaging laws and health warnings were no longer enough, insisting Australia now needed to address the supply side of tobacco consumption.
The researchers said a product as harmful to consumers’ health as cigarettes should not be available for purchase in Australian supermarkets.
“Despite tobacco’s legal status, it fails to meet consumer safety standards,” the authors wrote.
“Consumer and drug regulatory systems would prohibit the sale of cigarettes as a new consumer product today.
“Governments should set target end dates for tobacco sales and support retailers to transition to a smoke‐free society.”
