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Smoking rates are officially down, but look at the footpath

The Australian Financial Review (AFR) •
October 29, 2026 • 09:00 AM
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The shift towards the illegal market means that cigarettes are a rare instance of something that is cheaper today than it was 10 years ago.

Smoking rates are officially down, but look at the footpath

When Elise Pioch Balzac ordered a line of opulent lighter cases from a Paris trade show, she thought they would make a charming addition to her range of candles and oil burners. Within days of landing in-store, they had sold out.

“Customers went crazy,” says Pioch Balzac, the founder of modish home accessories brand Maison Balzac. “We’ve never had a response like this ... it’s definitely highlighting something that society is craving.”

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