Chris Dunlavy

A friend of mine recently landed in Perth and was horrified to discover a packet of cigarettes cost $65.
That’s £33, or thereabouts. He even had to ditch a tin of snus pouches because possession of the tobacco-filled pouches is illegal in Western Australia.
Needless to say, he’s not done much smoking. Nor has anyone else in Australia, which of course is the whole point.
A 70 per cent tax on cigarettes is the sixth-highest rate in the world, and - along with a ban on smoking in public spaces - has driven the number of daily smokers down from 24 per cent in 1991 to just over 11...