About this webinar:

Australia’s illicit tobacco market has expanded rapidly in recent years, yet there remains limited evidence on who uses illicitly traded tobacco, why consumers choose these products, or what might discourage future purchases. Dr Cheneal Puljevic's ARC DECRA Fellowship, which concluded in January 2026, was designed to address these evidence gaps. Drawing on findings from five complementary studies that Dr Puljevic conducted using both quantitative and qualitative methods, this webinar will present key findings on consumer behaviours, motivations and perceptions related to illicitly traded tobacco use. The webinar will conclude by discussing policy responses that are most likely to be effective in reducing demand for illicitly traded tobacco in Australia.

About the speaker:

Dr Cheneal Puljevic is a UQ Amplify Senior Research Fellow at the NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence on Achieving the Tobacco Endgame at the School of Public Health. Her current research, funded by an ARC DECRA Fellowship (2023-2026), focuses on the drivers and deterrents of illicit tobacco use. Her other research interests include smoking cessation among disadvantaged populations, drug checking (pill testing), alcohol-fuelled violence, and substance use harm reduction. Cheneal is also an Associate Editor for the International Journal of Drug Policy, a Deputy Editor for Drug and Alcohol Review, and a volunteer (and former Queensland Research Lead) for The Loop Australia.