Once one of Australia’s most famous nightlife destinations, King’s Cross has now transformed into a thriving hub for tobacco and vape retailers.
With 10 established stores already up and running and another in the pipeline, the dramatic shift in the Sydney suburb’s once-iconic identity has divided local opinion.
It has been illegal since October 2021 to sell, buy or possess e-cigarettes and vapes containing nicotine in NSW without a medical prescription.
King’s Cross has changed dramatically after controversial 2014 lockout laws and the Covid-19 lockdown crippled the hospitality industry, with many struggling businesses replaced by vape and tobacconists in the aftermath.
“They’re mostly empty so how they make money I don’t know,” a resident told Daily Mail Australia.
“I am shocked by the number of tobacconists, they are everywhere, I recently noticed (another),” added another.
A third said: ‘We now have Free Choice Tobacconist on the corner of Darlinghurst and Bayswater Roads.
“If you can’t get what you want at TSG Tobacconist or the vapery, which are literally around the corner, or at the four other tobacconists down the street, you should be able to get it here.
Formerly one of Australia’s premier nightlife destinations (pictured), Sydney’s Kings Cross has been converted into a tobacconist shopping center with 10 shops within a 100-metre radius
A single map shows how many tobacconists and vape shops there are in the King’s Cross area
Two of the stores are affiliated with the National Tobacco Station Group (TSG) and are only 120 meters apart.
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 that has 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 was supposed to be fine, (but) since the lockout laws and lockdowns it’s not going well,” he told Daily Mail Australia.
“The Cross has changed a lot in that it’s much wider, and there aren’t many young people here.”
The suburb was once known as the liveliest place for tourists and locals to enjoy a night out on the town, but has been brought to its knees by lockout laws and Covid lockdowns (stock image)
He said he believed the increase in tobacconists was due to a larger population of the homeless and drug users who could be more susceptible to addictive substances.
“People at risk for addiction live in the area, and there are a lot of people who probably come here because of the methadone clinic and other things and are probably quite vulnerable,” he said.
Another local, Chantal, said they had noticed pharmacies opening at a similar pace, with five in a 100-metre radius.
“I think a lot of people are just jumping on the bandwagon of what’s the hottest thing at the time,” she told Daily Mail Australia.
“And maybe that’s what vaping has done to the area… I just think younger people are vaping more often.”
Two of the 10 shops open in Kings Cross are Tobacco Station Group franchises, just 120 meters away and advertise ‘vapes’ in the shop windows (pictured)
Smaller stores have opened in recent years as earlier stores closed due to less foot traffic, while older stores like Kings X Tobacconist (pictured) have survived since 2007
But one resident said alcohol was still the biggest problem in the area.
“I’m as surprised as you 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 where alcohol is sold is greater than the number of places where tobacco is sold, focus on that branch.”
Although nicotine vapes and e-cigarettes were banned by the Australian government in October 2021, an estimated 1.3 million adults can still vape (stock image)
The Australian government banned the sale of non-pharmaceutical e-cigarettes in October 2021 over fears that they could “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 massive crackdown on vaping in May, including banning popular single-use disposable vapes and banning importation of over-the-counter vaping products into Australia.
He described vaping as the ‘biggest loophole in Australian history’, saying companies claimed they were tools to help smokers get off cigarettes.
“I’m just not prepared as the health minister to normalize this product,” he said.
Research data from Roy Morgan estimates that about 1.3 million Australian adults, or about 5.5 percent, are vapers.
New South Wales has the highest percentage of vapers compared to other Australian states, with 7.4 per cent of adults surveyed admitting to taking part.
Australia currently has one of the world’s most restrictive laws on nicotine vaping, but despite this, the incidence of adult vaping in Australia is 6.5% higher than in other countries that allow adult retail sales of nicotine vaping ‘ says Roy Morgan’s report. .