Graphic Tobacco Warnings Not Graphic Enough - AMA
AMA President, Dr Bill Glasson, said today the Australian Government should have gone for 'world's best', not just 'one of the world's best', with graphic anti-smoking warnings on cigarette packets.
The Government has announced a 30/90 warning configuration - against health industry advice for a 50/90, or at least a 50/50 configuration.
"The biggest impact for an anti-smoking message is on the front of the pack," Dr Glasson said.
"You don't look at the back of a person's head when you ask them out for a date.
"This is a huge missed opportunity by the Government to put Australia ahead of the world in the war against smoking.
"To make things worse, they have given the tobacco companies 18 months to stockpile cigarettes with less graphic warnings.
"That is a cop-out.
"It is also 18 months during which more kids can take up smoking because the warnings aren't strong enough."
Dr Glasson said the argument that tobacco companies would need 18 months to purchase dedicated new equipment is rubbish.
"The tobacco companies can turn out Grand Prix and other special promotional packs at the drop of a hat.
"There is no reason why they can't produce stronger graphic warning packs in the same time frame.
"Smoking is killing too many Australians every year. It is making too many Australians chronically and terminally ill. And it is still tempting young Australians to take up the killer habit.
"As a community we must do everything we can to minimise the harm to human health from smoking and passive smoking.
"The Government should have done more on this occasion. Instead, they have caved in to a compromise option put forward by the tobacco companies," Dr Glasson said.
25 June 2004
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