The Combatting Illicit Tobacco Bill 2026 (Cth) introduced by the Hon. Julian Hill

https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Hansard/Hansard_Display?bid=chamber/hansardr/29150/&sid=0012

https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation/Bills_Search_Results/Result?bId=r7458

Excerpts from speech -

'This bill is a critical step to strengthen Commonwealth laws and increase penalties to make the consequences much greater for criminals, target unexplained wealth, and activate enhanced law enforcement techniques, like wiretaps and other powerful tools to track and disrupt criminal networks.

This fight really matters. Smoking still kills on average 66 Australians every day and accounts for 20 per cent of the nation's cancer disease burden. Two out of every three long-term smokers will die of a tobacco related illness.

If our society does not turn the tide on this illicit market then we risk a new generation of Australians getting hooked on tobacco—a costly public health disaster for all Australians, as billions of dollars would then get diverted in the health system to deal with the consequences.'

...

'This bill comes at a critical time in Australia's fight to contain and reverse the growth of the illicit tobacco market.

Every seizure, every prosecution, every licence suspension and every dollar seized from a criminal under proceeds of crime powers adds friction and puts the illicit market under further pressure.

Increasing penalties and strengthening Commonwealth laws are critical to ensure Australia can continue to deter, disrupt and prevent the further growth of the illicit tobacco market, which will support the health and wellbeing of the Australian community.' #auslaw #auspol #smoking #tobacco

Indigenous Mayan smoking a traditional cigar, Mexico, 1958

https://piefed.social/c/historyphotos/p/1934949/indigenous-mayan-smoking-a-traditional-cigar-mexico-1958

#Mamdani Asked Tenants to Tell Him Their Problems Hundreds -
https://kensbookinfo.blogspot.com/p/politics.html#1

#Meta, #Google lose #US case over social media harm to -
https://kensbookinfo.blogspot.com/p/world-capitals.html#Paris

#Tobacco and corporate tax hikes to help finance defense -
https://kensbookinfo.blogspot.com/p/etc.html#Japan

Labour confirms it will block #Chinese firm Ming Yang -
https://kensbookinfo.blogspot.com/p/uk.html#4

Martin Parr, #God Save the Flash -
https://kensbookinfo.blogspot.com/p/media.html#3

#Taiwanese court jails former #Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je -
https://kensbookinfo.blogspot.com/p/world-capitals.html#Beijing

We've been here before!

https://olivia.science/before/

We have certainly been here before. Many many times in the past, companies — just like artificial intelligence (AI) companies now — have lied to us to sell us products. Not only is there no reason to assume the AI industry is different, there is in fact much to make us think they are knowingly misleading us.

#AI #tobacco

https://youtu.be/eo9iKHhcZuQ

#food #tobacco #fud #yum