Prevent nicotine threats on World No Tobacco Day
With this week’s World No Tobacco Day, the AMA encourages doctors to work together globally to prevent new and emerging threats around nicotine addiction.
World No Tobacco Day is a chance to reflect on how far Australia has come and also how much further we need to go in tobacco control.
There is a lot to celebrate in Australia, with the proportion of daily smokers reduced from 24.3 per cent in 1991 to 11 per cent in 2019.
While Australia's smoking rate is low compared to other OECD countries, tobacco remains the leading cause of preventable death and disability in Australia, killing an estimated 20,500 people in 2018.
The AMA is pleased to see tobacco regulation reinvigorated under the recently released National Tobacco Strategy 2023-2030.
The AMA encourages doctors around the world to work together to prevent new and emerging threats from nicotine addiction, while continuing to advocate for patients whose smoking cessation journey has been more difficult due to broader social and health inequities.
Health Minister Mark Butler announced a ban on non-prescription vapes in his Press Club address in May, along with other measures such as pharmaceutical-like packaging, a ban on flavours and colours, reduced nicotine concentration, and a ban on disposable vapes.
The AMA supports these measures, describing them as ‘bold’ and a ‘breath of fresh air’.
