Dr Alex Wodak AM is a retired physician who was President of the Australian Drug Law Reform Foundation for many years. He has worked full time on drug law reform and then tobacco harm reduction (THR) as a volunteer in his retirement. Together with colleagues, he started the first needle syringe programme (1986) and the first medically supervised injecting centre (1999) in Australia when both were pre-legal. Dr Wodak was President of the International Harm Reduction Association (1996-2004). He has been interested in THR since 1992 but became active in THR advocacy a decade ago. Dr Wodak helped to start the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (1987).
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GFN.TV Interviews #86 | POLICY COLLAPSE | Vape Bans and Australia’s Illicit Tobacco Crisis
17 Apr 2026
One of the world’s leading harm reduction advocates sees disaster unfolding in Australia. Sky-high tobacco taxes and sweeping restrictions on nicotine vaping were meant to reduce harm—but instead, they’ve fueled a booming illicit market, siphoned billions in public revenue, and triggered a wave of violence tied to organized crime. In this GFN Interviews, Dr. Alex Wodak explains how Australia’s approach has veered into “quasi prohibition,” driving demand into the black market and overwhelming enforcement.
Featuring:
DR. ALEX WODAK
Physician, Internal Medicine
Former Director, Alcohol and Drug Services
St Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney
Board Member, Australian THR Association
@AlexWodak