Chop-chop, also known as loose tobacco, is an Australian term for untaxed illegal

tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...

, such as that which is homegrown. The practice of using chop-chop emerged in avoidance of heavy excise and taxation levies, sharply lowering the cost compared to legally

marketed Marketing is the process of exploring, creating, and delivering value to meet the needs of a target market in terms of goods and services; potentially including selection of a target audience; selection of certain attributes or themes to emph ...

products. The chop-chop industry is by definition illegal and unregulated. It is considered an inferior product by the consumer to legal tobacco in taste but attractive as its price to the consumer is considerably less.

Market

It is estimated in May 2018, that in Australia about 864 tonnes of chop-chop is sold each year which is about 40% of the total legal Australian market of loose tobacco of 2,150 tonnes a year. In the previous year the

Australian Taxation Office The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) is an Australian statutory agency and the principal revenue collection body for the Australian Government. The ATO has responsibility for administering the Australian federal taxation system, superannuati ...

seized 117 tonnes. The value of the market ranges from

KPMG KPMG International Limited (or simply KPMG) is a multinational professional services network, and one of the Big Four accounting organizations. Headquartered in Amstelveen, Netherlands, although incorporated in London, England, KPMG is a net ...

at $1.6 billion to Rohan Pike Consulting at $3.8 billion a year.

Health concerns

Chop-chop is sometimes viewed as being more healthy than

mass-produced Mass production, also known as flow production or continuous production, is the production of substantial amounts of standardized products in a constant flow, including and especially on assembly lines. Together with job production and batch ...

branded tobacco. Research suggests that contaminants are common and include twigs and pulp from raw cotton, hay, cabbage leaves, grass clippings and

chloride The chloride ion is the anion (negatively charged ion) Cl−. It is formed when the element chlorine (a halogen) gains an electron or when a compound such as hydrogen chloride is dissolved in water or other polar solvents. Chloride salts ...

products. One writer has suggested that mould and

fungi A fungus ( : fungi or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, separately from ...

are also likely to be found in chop-chop samples. Another claim is that smoking chop-chop has the potential to cause greater illness than branded tobacco and possible fatality in those who use it. This is claimed, largely to the relatively high chance of fungal contamination found in samples of chop-chop. These fungi can cause toxic responses in the

lungs The lungs are the primary organs of the respiratory system in humans and most other animals, including some snails and a small number of fish. In mammals and most other vertebrates, two lungs are located near the backbone on either side of th ...

liver The liver is a major Organ (anatomy), organ only found in vertebrates which performs many essential biological functions such as detoxification of the organism, and the Protein biosynthesis, synthesis of proteins and biochemicals necessary for ...

kidneys The kidneys are two reddish-brown bean-shaped organs found in vertebrates. They are located on the left and right in the retroperitoneal space, and in adult humans are about in length. They receive blood from the paired renal arteries; blood ...

and skin, with illness ranging from

allergic Allergies, also known as allergic diseases, refer a number of conditions caused by the hypersensitivity of the immune system to typically harmless substances in the environment. These diseases include hay fever, food allergies, atopic derma ...

reactions, chronic

bronchitis Bronchitis is inflammation of the bronchi (large and medium-sized airways) in the lungs that causes coughing. Bronchitis usually begins as an infection in the nose, ears, throat, or sinuses. The infection then makes its way down to the bronchi. ...

and

asthma Asthma is a long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wheezing, cou ...

lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma (since about 98–99% of all lung cancers are carcinomas), is a malignant lung tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissue (biology), tissues of the lung. Lung carcinomas derive from tran ...

Possession

Because of its illegal nature, chop-chop is often transported and stored in a clandestine manner. In one 2007 incident, a taxation officer inspecting a residence in

Mareeba, Queensland Mareeba is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Mareeba in Far North Queensland, Australia. Between 2008 and 2013, it was within the Tablelands Region. The town's name is derived from an Aboriginal word meaning ''meeting of the waters'' ...

noticed that the owner's bedroom floor sounded hollow and discovered a hydraulically operated steel trapdoor concealing an underground bunker that held hundreds of kilograms of chop-chop. Chop-chop can also find its way into the market via individuals or groups who purchase leaf directly from a tobacco grower, process it for sale and provide it to a range of retailers (such as tobacconists, market stallholders, hairdressers, newsagents and milk bars) for on-selling. Chop-chop is usually sold in half or one kilogram lots, packed into clear plastic bags in loose leaf form.Winstanley, Margaret (2008)
10.9.1 Chop-chop
Tobacco in Australia. Cancer Council Victoria. Retrieved 2010-07-23.

Origins of the term

The term "chop-chop" was coined in the mid-1890s by staff at an Australian tobacco manufacturer, W.D. & H.O. Wills Australia Limited, endeavouring to combat the illegal trade. The term comes from the production process of the illicit producers - merely chopping up the cured tobacco leaves.

References

Works cited