Three things Australia must do to end the tobacco wars

Last week, new data were released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) suggesting daily smoking prevalence has dropped to a record low of 5.6% in 2025 – down from 8.3% in 2022-23. Taken at face value, this is the best news in the history of tobacco control in Australia. But there are reasons for caution. The figures come from a self-report survey, and as the AIHW has previously acknowledged, respondents “tend to underestimate actual consumption levels”, with illicit use…