Current Tobacco Wars

[lostelf]

Literally the worst thing you could do. If you're a user, take a look at SMART:

Drug & Alcohol Counselling - Rehabilitation Services | SMART Recovery Australia

Literally hey.

What's the score on rehab survivors? A lot of long term sobers?

Do you know when the riskiest time for suicide is?

 

[lostelf]

Literally the worst thing you could do. If you're a user, take a look at SMART:

Drug & Alcohol Counselling - Rehabilitation Services | SMART Recovery Australia

I'll give you a clue.

It isn't just before rehab.

 

[jason_recliner]

Literally hey.

What's the score on rehab survivors? A lot of long term sobers?

Do you know when the riskiest time for suicide is?

Use doesn't fix trauma, it makes it worse and harder to deal with. The source of the trauma remains but the use impacts the user's relationships, health, resilience, finances, performance, and self esteem. You mentioned a paramedic who uses. If they can't cope with the trauma of that work, the answer is to get different work, not use. There are people who experience trauma but have coping strategies other than use - that role would be better suited to them. And there are people who go to work functions without using, family events, holidays, even gigs without using, everything in life, it's possible. And some have experienced trauma. Anyway, it's a huge topic and this isn't the forum. All the best.

 

[jason_recliner]

I've been awaiting to encounter some of the illegal tobacco, I live far from Melbourne and haven't seen any, anyone know how widespread availability is the bacco?
Have you seen it, and what is it like quality wise?

A mate brought back maybe a kg of raw dried tobacco from Indonesia in the 90s. It was borderline unsmokable. Goes to show how much other crap is in a cigarette.

 

[jason_recliner]

New Zealand set to scrap world-first tobacco ban​

WELLINGTON, Feb 27 (Reuters) - New Zealand will repeal on Tuesday a world-first law banning tobacco sales for future generations, the government said, even while researchers and campaigners warned of the risk that people could die as a result


https://www.reuters.com/business/he...9fb53c9fef75686a2ea9e66c4be822768a09512e0c82f

 

[jason_recliner]

There's clearly enough money in it they could probably buy their own shops.

If they start buying the shops, and can't insure them, and the shops keep burning down... selling illegal poison won't be quite as profitable as it once was!!!

 

[sosos]

On the topic of the crimes associated with the tobacco wars, interesting to see some of the names of the main players start to appear in the papers, but of massive concern is the cheap arson gangs the main protagonists are prepared to use.

Not sure if related to the tobacco wars, but very sad to see two innocent lives lost recently - people sleeping in a factory.

https://archive.is/6tlHm

 

[Kurve]

Retailers fear tobacco 'turf war' after suspicious fire in NSW beachside suburb

Police are appealing for information after a suspicious fire at a new tobacco shop in Ettalong, which came just a day after the same business was broken into and vandalised.

www.abc.net.au

 

[Kurve]

It had to happen. This is pretty scary.

 

[Del65166]

Melbourne’s tobacco war claims the life of ‘completely innocent’ house sitter

A woman who died trapped in a burning home became the first civilian fatality in the gangland war over control of Melbourne’s illicit tobacco trade.

www.theage.com.au

Federal Govt making squillions in tax. At what cost. Feels like bootleg era 1920s..

An individual's consumption of tobacco creates externalities through increased healthcare costs – which are often borne by society, and the effects of passive smoking. Consequently, taxation increases the price of tobacco to better reflect its social cost.

I dont smoke, so I don't care, but had a friend who smoked tobacco & weed daily.... illegal pot cost the same as legal tobacco.


Mr O'Brien — who served as a police officer before entering federal parliament — said the ever-increasing tax was well-intentioned, but it's had the unintended consequence of fuelling a black market, a claim backed by some criminologists and economists.

 

[Kurve]

Melbourne’s tobacco war claims the life of ‘completely innocent’ house sitter

A woman who died trapped in a burning home became the first civilian fatality in the gangland war over control of Melbourne’s illicit tobacco trade.

www.theage.com.au

Federal Govt making squillions in tax. At what cost. Feels like bootleg era 1920s..

An individual's consumption of tobacco creates externalities through increased healthcare costs – which are often borne by society, and the effects of passive smoking. Consequently, taxation increases the price of tobacco to better reflect its social cost.

I dont smoke, so I don't care, but had a friend who smoked tobacco & weed daily.... illegal pot cost the same as legal tobacco.


Mr O'Brien — who served as a police officer before entering federal parliament — said the ever-increasing tax was well-intentioned, but it's had the unintended consequence of fuelling a black market, a claim backed by some criminologists and economists.

It's nuts. Of course, eventually someone would die.

Estimates are that up to 3 million people went over to vapes, a much healthier alternative especially if you purchased at specialist vape stores with a refillable device and stayed away from the Chinese disposables.

The government could have and should have regulated vapes. Their policy is a disaster.

 

[Kurve]

Ordered from outside of Australia.

Police believe the arson attack that claimed the life of burlesque performer Katie Tangey was ordered by Kazem “Kaz” Hamad, the tobacco kingpin in exile.

Six months after the deadly firebombing that killed Tangey, police have announced a $500,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible.

Exiled tobacco kingpin linked to fire that killed innocent burlesque dancer

Police suspect Kazem “Kaz” Hamad of ordering the botched Truganina arson attack from overseas and have set a $500,000 reward for information.

www.theage.com.au

 

[NSWCROW]

And of course the lads have gone and ****ed up a good thing for everyone like they always do so well played on that

 

[Kurve]

The government shut down legitimate vape stores to steal their business model but Chinese disposable vapes which are a powerful toxic mix of whatever (nobody knows) are still coming in and business has picked up again for illegal tobacco.

No surprises here.

We can now conclude that the strategy of taxing and banning nicotine addiction out of existence is a complete failure.

The result is that organised crime is making about $10 billion a year in revenue.

Australia's illegal tobacco problem has jumped from tragedy to farce

We can now conclude that the strategy of taxing and banning nicotine addiction out of existence is a complete failure. The result is organised crime making about $10 billion a year in revenue.

www.abc.net.au

 

[Whats a Battle]

I don't smoke and never have. Nor does anyone close to me that I can think of right now. In my opinion it's beyond idiotic.

But taking a look at litter etc that you see around, all you ever see are Manchester or Double Happiness packets. Almost never the olive green packages.

If that's representative, I wouldn't say that 50% of smokers buy the illegal stuff, I would say it's closer to 95%.

 

[Kurve]

This is horrible.

In a statement, Drug and Firearms Squad commander Detective Superintendent John Watson said nitazenes were highly addictive and could be lethal.

"By lacing vape liquid with these synthetic opioids, suppliers are deliberately creating dependency, hooking users to ensure repeat business," Superintendent Watson said.

Man charged over vape liquid laced with potentially lethal opioid

A Sydney man is the first person in Australia to be charged with supplying a potentially lethal nitazene-laced vape liquid in a "disturbing evolution" in the illicit drug trade.

www.abc.net.au

 

[Bunk Moreland]

I don't smoke and never have. Nor does anyone close to me that I can think of right now. In my opinion it's beyond idiotic.

But taking a look at litter etc that you see around, all you ever see are Manchester or Double Happiness packets. Almost never the olive green packages.

If that's representative, I wouldn't say that 50% of smokers buy the illegal stuff, I would say it's closer to 95%.

I know a few smokers who smoked the legit stuff but even they’ve gone over to the illegals recently.

$10-$15 versus $45.

 

[Whats a Battle]

I know a few smokers who smoked the legit stuff but even they’ve gone over to the illegals recently.

$10-$15 versus $45.

I mean, it's not like the illegal stuff will kill you any harder than the legal stuff. Again, I have absolutely no experience in this matter but the only thing I can think of is it may taste/smell a little more noxious...but then again legal cigarettes are hardly appealing in that respect too.

 

[Kurve]

I know a few smokers who smoked the legit stuff but even they’ve gone over to the illegals recently.

$10-$15 versus $45.

The only time I've seen anybody with a packet of fully taxed legit cigarettes in the last few years was when I did a job with a driver who smoked, we got stranded for nearly a week in the outback and he had to buy a packet, he was howling.

So we go to the pub and not even five minutes in, he'd found where he could get his smokes at $15 a packet. We were in the middle of nowhere essentially.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

The only time I've seen anybody with a packet of fully taxed legit cigarettes in the last few years was when I did a job with a driver who smoked, we got stranded for nearly a week in the outback and he had to buy a packet, he was howling.

So we go to the pub and not even five minutes in, he'd found where he could get his smokes at $15 a packet. We were in the middle of nowhere essentially.

Amazing isn't it. As they say, a market always finds a way.

A guy I know has smoked John Players all his life and he stuck it out. In the past year, even he's gone over to the cheap ones.

 

[rdhopkins2]

Kaz Hamad arrested in Iraq!
Massive news!

Let’s see where this goes.
I doubt he will be extradited back to Aus.

Kazem Hamad reportedly arrested in Iraq after being declared ‘one of the most dangerous wanted men in the world’

Kazem Hamad, who police suspect has been directing the Melbourne tobacco war as well as firebombings, shootings, and drug trafficking from Iraq, has reportedly been arrested.

www.theage.com.au