Sarah Waters lit her first cigarette at age 11, sneaking it from her father’s pack. By 13, she was a regular smoker — and soon addicted.
“At the time, no one warned us about the dangers,” she said. “Smoking was everywhere — in teen magazines, on movie screens — it was seen as glamorous.”
Sarah says she tried repeatedly to quit, but with cigarettes so readily available in supermarkets, service stations, and corner stores, the temptation was hard to resist.
Now, the Lung Foundation Australia is calling for cigarettes to be removed from major supermarkets to reduce access and curb addiction.
A Push to Limit Tobacco Access
Lung Foundation CEO Mark Brooke says reducing the number of places where cigarettes are sold could be a key step in cutting smoking rates.
“Limiting access won’t solve everything, but it’s a critical part of the solution,” he said.
“Putting profits before public health is something we’re asking corporations to reconsider.”
Sarah Waters supports the idea, saying even small barriers can help someone quit. “If they’re not right there when you shop, it might make you think twice.”
Smoking Rates Down, But Access Still Widespread
Brooke noted that just 10% of Australians now smoke, but the number of locations selling tobacco has surged — some legally, others not.
In Queensland alone this month, authorities seized over $20 million worth of illicit tobacco and vapes, in the state’s largest-ever crackdown.
Will It Fuel the Black Market?
Some worry restricting legal access could drive people to illegal suppliers.
But Dr James Durl, a marketing researcher at Griffith University, says such fears mostly apply to current smokers, not new ones.
“This strategy is more about prevention — making it harder to start,” Dr Durl said.
“For existing smokers, so long as legal options like tobacconists remain, most won’t turn to illegal sources.”
He called the supermarket ban a “small but important step” in the decades-long battle against tobacco.
Government Response and Retailer Reaction
Federal Health Minister Mark Butler said the government is already taking strong steps to combat smoking, including updated graphic warnings and packaging laws passed in 2023.
However, he did not say whether the government would support banning cigarette sales in supermarkets.
A Coles spokesperson said the company follows all relevant tobacco legislation but continues to offer products “to customers who choose to buy them legally.”
Woolworths did not provide comment by deadline.
Sarah Waters’ Journey to Quit Smoking
It took Sarah Waters nearly three decades to finally quit smoking — and she hasn’t had a cigarette in 11 years.
“I couldn’t enjoy life anymore. I’d start coughing every time I laughed,” she said. “It became anti-social and really expensive.”
Now, she uses the money she used to spend on cigarettes to travel the world.
She urges others not to give up. “I tried everything — patches, gum, hypnosis, medication, cold turkey — and finally found something that worked for me. Don’t stop trying. Use every resource you can, and surround yourself with people who support your goal.”
