Once renowned as one of Australia’s premier nightclub destinations, King’s Cross has now transformed into a thriving hub for tobacco and vape retailers.
With 10 established stores already in operation and another one in the pipeline, the dramatic shift in the once iconic Sydney suburb’s identity has divided local opinion.
E-cigarettes and vapes that contain nicotine have been illegal to sell, purchase or possess in NSW without a medical prescription since October 2021.
King’s Cross has drastically changed after controversial 2014 lock-out laws and the Covid-19 lockdown crippled the hospitality industry, with many struggling businesses replaced by vape and tobacco stores in the aftermath.
‘They’re usually empty, so how they make any money is beyond me,’ one local told Daily Mail Australia.
‘I’m shocked by the number of tobacconists, they’re everywhere, I just noticed (another one) the other day,’ another added.
A third said: ‘We now have Free Choice Tobacconist on the comer of Darlinghurst and Bayswater roads.
‘If you can’t get what you want at TSG Tobacconist or the vapery, which are literally just around the corner, or from the four other tobacconists just down the street, then you should be able to get it here.
Formerly one of Australia’s premiere nightlife destinations Sydney’s Kings Cross (pictured), has been turned into a tobacconist hub with 10 stores operating in a 100m radius
A single map shows just how many tobacconist and vape shops are in the King’s Cross area
Two of the stores are affiliated with the National Tobacco Station Group (TSG) and are just 120metres away from each other.
Smaller brands such as Queen’s Tobacconist and KX Minimart and Tobacconist have opened recently, while the Kings Cross Tobacconist is one of the few businesses on the strip to have survived since 2007.
A local resident, who has lived in the area since the 1990s, said the area was changing for the worse.
‘(At night) it would be thriving, (but) since the lockout laws and lockdowns it’s not thriving,’ he told Daily Mail Australia.
‘The Cross has changed a lot in the sense that it’s much wider, and there aren’t very many young people around here.’
The suburb was once known as the most lively place for tourists and locals to enjoy a night out on the town, but has been kneecapped by lockout laws and Covid lockdowns (stock image)
He said he believed the surge of tobacconists was due to a higher population of homeless and drug users who could be more susceptible to addictive substances.
‘People with risk of addiction live nearby, and there’s lots of people who are probably coming here because of the methadone clinic and other things and are probably quite vulnerable,’ he said.
Another local, Chantal, said they had noticed chemists opening up at a similar rate, with five in a 100m radius.
‘I think a lot of people just jump on the bandwagon of what is the most popular thing of the time,’ she told Daily Mail Australia.
‘And maybe that’s sort of what vaping has done to the area… I just think there’s a higher incidence of younger people vaping.’
Two of the 10 stores open in Kings Cross are Tobacco Station Group franchises, located just 120m away and advertising ‘vapes’ on the storefront windows (pictured)
Smaller stores have opened up in recent years as previous shops shut down due to less foot traffic while older stores such as Kings X Tobacconist (pictured) have survived since 2007
But one local said alcohol was still the biggest issue in the area.
‘I’m puzzled as much as you are as to why our population has so many tobacconists and vape shops but then we have to keep asking the other question – why do we have so many restaurants?’ he said.
‘The number of places selling alcohol is more than the places selling tobacco, target that industry.’
Although nicotine vapes and e-cigarettes were outlawed by the Australian Government in October 2021, an estimated 1.3million adults are still able to vape (stock image)
The Australian Government outlawed the sale of non-pharmaceutical e-cigarettes in October 2021 under fears they ‘may expose users to chemicals and toxins that are harmful to health’.
The only way to legally purchase an e-cigarette with nicotine is through a pharmacist with a doctor’s prescription.
Health Minister Mark Butler announced a major vaping crackdown in May, including banning popular single-use disposable vapes and barring the import of non-prescription vaping products into Australia.
He described vaping as the ‘biggest loophole in Australian history,’ saying companies claimed they were tools to ween smokers off of cigarettes.
‘I’m just not willing as the nation’s Health Minister to normalise this product,’ he said.
Survey data from Roy Morgan has estimated that around 1.3million Australian adults, or about 5.5 per cent, are vapers.
The largest vaping state in Australia is New South Wales, with 7.4 per cent of adults surveyed admitted to vaping.
‘Australia currently has one of the world’s most restrictive laws on nicotine vaping, however despite this, Australia’s adult vaping incidence rate of 6.5% is higher than other countries which permit the adult retail sale of nicotine vaping products,’ the report from Roy Morgan reads.