Major health organisations call for stronger warnings and graphic pictures on cigarette packets
Australia's three major health organisations today called for all political parties to support a new system of strengthened and graphic health warnings on cigarette packets.
The Cancer Council Australia (CCA), the Australian Medical Association (AMA) and the National Heart Foundation want cigarette packets to be covered with images of tumours, oral cancers and diseased organs similar to the health warning system successfully used in Canada.
The three organisations have also called on the community to make their support of a strengthened health warning system known to their Members of Parliament.
To illustrate their campaign, the CCA, the AMA and the National Heart Foundation today ran a national press advertisement showing what a cigarette packet could look like under a new health warning system with the message "Words can't describe the harm tobacco does. That's why we need pictures".
"What would be fair warning for a lethal product that addicts children, kills when used exactly as intended, and every year causes over 19, 000 deaths in Australia? At minimum, a warning that tells the truth, " said Mike Daube, Chair of the CCA's Tobacco Issues Committee and Chief Executive Officer of the Cancer Foundation of WA.
"Canadian and Australian research shows that large no-nonsense tobacco package warnings, in colour, with pictures and graphics are effective at discouraging smoking. Strong warnings help motivate smokers to quit and help persuade kids not to smoke," Mr Daube said.
Canada has successfully implemented a system of graphic health warning and the European Union has recently decided that its 15 member countries will have the option of requiring pictures as part of health warnings.
"Canadian research shows a very positive response to the new health warnings among smokers, most of whom wish they didn't smoke with a large proportion planning to quit in the near future," said Todd Harper, Executive Director of Quit Victoria and member of the CCA 's Tobacco Issues Committee.
"Every cigarette packet in Canada is covered almost entirely with a graphic image such as a tumour and a health warning in large letters. It has proven to be a very effective way of communicating directly with smokers, both in terms of motivating smokers to quit and encouraging recent quitters to stay stopped."
AMA President, Dr Kerryn Phelps said the time had come for Australia to update its cigarette package health warnings.
"In February 2000 the Federal Health Minister Dr Michael Wooldridge announced a review of the Australian health warnings. We now have the ideal opportunity to follow the lead of Canada and make health messages as strong as possible, " Dr Phelps said.
Maurice Swanson from the National Heart Foundation said the primary purpose of a new health warning system would be to provide information in a meaningful way.
"In Australia, like Canada, most smokers are generally aware that smoking is bad for you. However, smokers are less aware of the magnitude of the risk and that is that smoking kills one in two long-term users," Mr Swanson said.
"Smokers are also less aware of the many specific health conditions caused by tobacco. A new health warning system like Canada's would leave them in doubt as to the damage cigarettes are doing to their health."
Dr Phelps said it was the tobacco industry which stood to benefit most from any failure by governments to take the opportunity to strengthen existing health warnings.
"The tobacco industry has a long history of ignoring their obligations to smokers, playing down the health damage caused by tobacco and discrediting and confusing the public health messages on the harm caused by tobacco.
"I urge the major parties to make a commitment to Canadian-style health warnings as part of their tobacco control policies in the lead-up to the Federal election. I also hope Australian voters will lend their voices to our campaign by letting their local Member of Parliament know that they support stronger health messages on cigarettes."
Contacts: Mike Daube Todd Harper
- Cancer Council Australia Quit Victoria
- 0438 816 840 0417 561 412
- National Heart Foundation AMA
0414 922 902 0419 494 761