Australian Medical Association

AMA President, Dr Steve Hambleton, said today that Australia’s reputation as a world leader in public health initiatives that save lives and improve people’s health has been significantly enhanced with the Parliament giving the final tick to the Government’s pioneering tobacco plain packaging legislation.

The AMA congratulates the Government on the passing in the Senate this evening of its world-leading tobacco plain packaging legislation.

AMA Vice President, Professor Geoffrey Dobb, said that the new laws – to take effect from December 2012 – would save lives.

MJA release - Australia’s plain cigarette packaging legislation is a weapons-grade public health policy that is causing apoplexy in the international tobacco industry, according to an article published in the latest Medical Journal of Australia.

The AMA congratulated the Government on getting its tobacco plain packaging legislation through the House of Representatives.

AMA President, Dr Steve Hambleton, urges all MPs and Senators to get behind both the Tobacco Plain Packaging Bill 2011 and the Trade Marks Amendment (Tobacco Plain Packaging) Bill 2011.

This AMA submission to the House of Representatives Inquiry into the Tobacco Plain Packaging Bill 2011 supports legislation to remove all attractive, decorative and brand-recognisable packaging on tobacco products.

Welcoming the Coalition’s support for the Government’s tobacco plain packaging legislation, AMA President, Dr Steve Hambleton, said today that the community would benefit if a bipartisan approach extended to other important public health issues such as obesity and alcohol.

Dr Hambleton said that public health should be above partisan ideologies and political pointscoring.

“The Coalition has done the right thing in supporting the Government on plain packaging,” Dr Hambleton said.

On World No Tobacco Day, the AMA is putting its full support behind Government efforts to stop the tobacco industry using clever and fashionable marketing and advertising techniques to promote the killer smoking habit in the community, especially to young people.

AMA President, Dr Steve Hambleton, said today that tobacco companies are still using marketing tactics to entice young people to smoke, despite tough measures by governments to combat smoking.

“The AMA strongly supports the Federal Government’s plain packaging legislation, and we urge an end to all forms of tobacco promotion,” Dr Hambleton said.

AMA President Dr Andrew Pesce announces the 2011 AMA/ACOSH National Tobacco Scoreboard Award and the 2011 Dirty Astray Award at the AMA National Conference in May 2011.

The 2011 Dirty Ashtray Award is awarded to the tobacco industry – Big Tobacco – for its desperate and deceptive campaign to oppose effective public health measures.

AMA Federal President, Dr Andrew Pesce, today announced results of the ACOSH National Tobacco Scoreboard.

The Commonwealth Government and Western Australia have taken out top honours on the Australian Council on Smoking and Health (ACOSH) National Tobacco Scoreboard 2010/11.

AMA Federal President, Dr Andrew Pesce, today announced results of the ACOSH National Tobacco Scoreboard.