AMA warns on flu season, passive vaping, and junk food advertising
The AMA President has been in the media this week with a number of public and preventive health messages.
AMA President Professor Steve Robson has been active in the media this week, with an urgent call to Australians to prepare for the flu season, warnings about the dangers of vaping, and talking about the AMA’s call to ban junk food advertising.
Professor Robson told listeners of ABC Radio Melbourne to be ready for another early flu season.
“The influenza vaccine will become available sometime this month,” he said.
“It's really important to understand that influenza vaccination is simple. It is safe, it's very effective, and it's something that can protect the whole community at a time of great threat and great risk to a lot of vulnerable Australians.”
Professor Robson told 2GB radio listeners of the dangers of second-hand vape smoke, especially for younger Australians who have been attracted to vaping in large numbers.
“Information is coming in suggesting that vaping steam, that the cloud of vaping stuff you see around vapers can go right down into the lungs of people around vapers,” he said.
“We're seeing young Aussies, young Aussie kids around vapers. And even if they don't vape themselves, we’re now very concerned that the second hand vape steam may hurt their lungs as well. It's a worrying situation.”
Professor Robson was also busy over the Easter long weekend urging governments to ban the advertising of junk food to children following the AMA’s submission last week to a Department of Health and Aged Care consultation on a feasibility study on limiting unhealthy food marketing.
“The current regulation is by the industry itself, and if there's any supposed transgression, they're
basically hit with a wet lettuce leaf. It's an appalling situation, and we need strong regulation if we're
going to protect the next generation of young Australians,” he said.
