Australia remains at forefront of international tobacco control
AMA NATIONAL CONFERENCE 2015 (Twitter: #amanc15)
AMA/ACOSH NATIONAL TOBACCO SCOREBOARD AWARD 2015
AUSTRALIA REMAINS AT FOREFRONT OF INTERNATIONAL TOBACCO CONTROL
The Federal Government has embellished Australia’s standing as an international leader in the fight to combat smoking and control tobacco, earning it the National Tobacco Scoreboard Achievement Award for 2015.
Presenting the National Tobacco Scoreboard Award to Federal Health Minister Sussan Ley in a ceremony at Australian Medical Association’s National Conference in Brisbane today, AMA President, Associate Professor Brian Owler, commended the Government for building on the work of its predecessors in keeping Australia at the forefront of international efforts to control tobacco and reduce smoking, which nonetheless remains the nation’s number one cause of preventable deaths.
“Australia has a strong record when it comes to tobacco control,” A/Prof Owler said.
“From Quit campaigns and smoke-free workplaces and public spaces to excise arrangements and, most recently, breakthrough plain packaging legislation, this country has been a leader in the fight to curb smoking.
“And the evidence shows that we are succeeding. Less than 13 per cent of Australians aged 14 years or older smoked on a daily basis in 2013 – down from more than a third in 1980 - and it is likely to be even lower now.
“Unfortunately, tobacco is still a major killer. Each year, around 15,000 Australians die because of smoking, and around two-thirds of current smokers will die because of their habit.
“It means we can’t afford to slacken off. Governments, doctors and health groups need to do all we can to help people quit smoking, or never take it up in the first place.”
A/Professor Owler said that was why it was particularly pleasing to see the Commonwealth take out the National Tobacco Scoreboard Achievement Award, because it showed the Federal Government’s commitment to push ahead on tobacco control.
In announcing their decision, ACOSH judges particularly commended the Government for its National Tobacco Campaign – the next phase of which will be launched on World No Tobacco Day this Sunday – and its unswerving support for the nation’s world-first plain packaging laws.
A/Professor Owler said both Ms Ley and Assistant Health Minister Fiona Nash were to be congratulated for their ongoing support for tobacco control.
“While plain packaging laws, tobacco excise, smoke-free workplaces and Quit campaigns are all great measures, evidence shows programs like the National Tobacco Campaign are particularly effective, and will build on the successes of recent decades in reducing smoking,” the AMA President said.
“But this is not to let other governments off the hook.
“Across the country there has been a creeping complacency when it comes to tobacco control, and many governments seem to be sitting on their hands, which is very disappointing when we are talking about the nation’s biggest preventable cause of death and disease.”
The AMA President said there were glaring gaps in the national effort to cut the rate of smoking, particularly among disadvantaged groups.
“There has been little focus on disadvantaged communities, where preventable deaths and disease from smoking are particularly prevalent. Smoking is a major reason why people with mental problems have a much reduced life expectancy, and is a leading killer among Indigenous Australians and those in prison,” he said.
Queensland and Western Australia were praised by the ACOSH judges for taking action on e-cigarettes, though both were urged to go further and ban their sale and promotion altogether. Both Victoria and the ACT were given credit for decisions to divest themselves of tobacco company shares but, as with most other jurisdictions, were marked down for allowing smoking in parts of casinos and other licensed premises.
New South Wales, Tasmania and the Northern Territory were commended for resolving to make their prisons smoke-free.
A/Prof Owler warned that all governments would need to step up their commitment to tobacco control if they were to achieve the goals set out in the National Tobacco Strategy, which aims to drive the prevalence of smoking among adults down to 10 per cent by 2018.
“I urge all governments to ensure adequate investment in strong, comprehensive mass media-led campaigns to cut Australia’s smoking habit,” the AMA President said.
A/Prof Owler said he hoped that the strong message sent out to governments through with the Dirty Ashtray Award and the National Tobacco Scoreboard would intensify efforts to encourage more people to quit the killer habit and stamp out smoking.
The results of the National Tobacco Scoreboard are summarised below.
29 May 2015
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ACOSH National Tobacco Scoreboard Summaries 2015
Grade A (>80), Grade B (70-79), Grade C (60-69), Grade D (50-59)
State/Territory | Grade | Praise | Action needed/concerns |
Federal Government | A | · Australia’s national tobacco control policies are world-leading · Strong support for plain packaging legislation · Excellent fiscal policies · Next phase of National Tobacco Campaign to be launched this weekend · Subsidies for pharmacotherapies · Meeting FCTC obligations and supporting other countries to do so through grants, technical assistance and research | · Update the Tobacco Advertising Prohibition Act (TAPA) which has not been updated since 1992, to keep up with developments in tobacco promotion · Need for regulation of tobacco product contents and disclosure · Implement and fund a National Quitline Service · Ensure continuing support for disadvantaged groups, particularly Aboriginal people and people with mental health problems |
Australian Capital Territory | B | · Commitment to FCTC Article 5.3, as the first Australian jurisdiction to divest from the tobacco industry. · Leadership in protecting public health policy from tobacco industry interference. Policies in place to limit interactions with tobacco companies and ensure transparency where such interactions occur. · Good progress in protecting the public from second hand smoke with a comprehensive smoking ban in public places and work places including pubs, clubs, restaurants and casinos as well as correctional facilities with detainees and staff only permitted to smoke in designated outdoor areas. | · Remove the designated outdoor smoking areas permitted in some premises with liquor licences · Fund public education programs · In the absence of any approvals by the Therapeutic Goods Administration, ban all e-cigarette sale, promotion and marketing, and ban use in public places where cigarette smoking is prohibited
|
Queensland | B | · Leadership in commitment to protecting the community from second hand smoke exposure, with restrictions on smoking in outdoor enclosed public places including al fresco dining areas · Hospital and schools are now completely smoke-free including no-smoking areas beyond the boundaries to five metres · Legislation regulating e-cigarettes to be treated in the same way as normal cigarettes, so cannot be sold to minors and cannot be smoked in public smoke-free areas
| · Increase tobacco campaign funding · Remove the smoking exemption for casino high-roller room · End investing taxpayers’ money and superannuation funds in tobacco companies. · In the absence of any approvals by the Therapeutic Goods Administration, ban all e-cigarette sale, promotion and marketing. |
Western Australia | B | · Continuing a comprehensive approach including strong public education programs, and comprehensive smoking cessation support including a Quitline · Good progress addressing Indigenous smoking. · Strong and unequivocal stance on e-cigarettes with or without nicotine, with sales banned to all people, including minors under existing legislation.
| · Remove the loopholes permitting smoking in “beer gardens” in licenced premises and for Casino high-roller rooms · Close loophole permitting product display by specialist tobacconists · Fulfil pre-election commitments in relation to: Stronger point of sale legislation; stronger enforcement of sales to minors legislation; banning all tobacco industry lobbying and public relations; increased support to address smoking and disadvantaged people. · Ban all e-cigarette use in places where cigarette smoking is prohibited
|
Tasmania | C | · Commitment to protecting people from second hand smoke exposure with a comprehensive smoking ban in enclosed public places and work places including pubs, clubs, restaurants and casinos · Good progress in implementing smoke-free prison facilities. · Praiseworthy efforts to target smoking among Indigenous populations. | · Increase funding for public education · Increase efforts to target smoking among high risk groups · Ban vending machines in restricted areas · End investment from taxpayers’ money and superannuation funds in tobacco companies · In the absence of any approvals by the Therapeutic Goods Administration, ban all e-cigarette sale, promotion and marketing, and ban use in places where cigarette smoking is prohibited |
New South Wales | C | · Consistency with FCTC article 5.3, particularly including specific legal framework prohibiting political donations by the tobacco industry, divestment of all direct and indirect tobacco investments across all government agencies, and prohibiting all party political donations · Protecting the NSW population from second hand smoke exposure by introducing smoke-free commercial outdoor dining legislation in July 2015 · Decision to implement a smoke-free prison system
| · Remove exemptions permitting smoking in designated areas in clubs, pubs, nightclubs, areas within casinos and outdoor areas of licenced premises. · Ban vending machines · Effective regulation to prevent tobacco retailers from breaching state legislation. · Remove the smoking exemption for casino high-roller room · In the absence of any approvals by the Therapeutic Goods Administration, ban all e-cigarette sale, promotion and marketing, and ban use in places where cigarette smoking is prohibited
|
Northern Territory | C | · Commitment to substantial programs addressing smoking in Aboriginal and other high-risk populations · The first Australian jurisdiction to implement smoke-free prisons
| · End loopholes permitting smoking in licenced premises and casinos · Funding for public education programs · Remove the exemption permitting 50% smoking areas in alfresco dining areas and outdoor areas of licenced premises · Develop policies limiting interactions with and donations from the tobacco industry and related third parties, in line with FCTC article 5.3 · In the absence of any approvals by the Therapeutic Goods Administration, ban all e-cigarette sale, promotion and marketing, and ban use in places where cigarette smoking is prohibited |
Victoria | C | · Long-running and highly regarded Quit Campaign · Efforts to tackle smoking among Indigenous populations through collaborative partnerships and supporting the Victorian regional action plans funding to address tobacco use in Aboriginal communities. · Good progress in addressing smoking in high risk populations and providing smoking cessation support with a commitment to include funding to support Quitline services. · Victorian Funds Management Corporation and VicSuper have made decisions to divest funds from tobacco companies | · Increase current funding for mass media campaigns following reductions in recent years. · Remove smoking exemptions permitted in some enclosed areas, so as to ban smoking in outdoor dining and drinking areas · Remove the smoking exemption for casino high-roller rooms · Close loophole permitting product display by specialist tobacconists · In the absence of any approvals by the Therapeutic Goods Administration, ban all e-cigarette sale, promotion and marketing, and ban use in places where cigarette smoking is prohibited
|
South Australia | D | · The South Australian government re-introduced a tobacco media campaign following its earlier much-criticised decision to end tobacco media
| · The majority of program funding for tobacco control in areas such as youth smoking and smoking among high-risk populations has been lost. · Monitoring and enforcement processes for smoke-free policies and tobacco retailer legislation are weak. · In the absence of any approvals by the Therapeutic Goods Administration, ban all e-cigarette sale, promotion and marketing, and ban use in places where cigarette smoking is prohibited · Public sector employees’ superannuation funds still invest in tobacco companies. · No apparent commitment to ban political donations from tobacco companies. |