New stats show World No Tobacco Day still needed
31 May 2023
And statistics from a new Lung Foundation Australia survey released today are evidence more action is needed to help prevent a new generation of addiction and disease.
Lung Foundation CEO Mark Brooke said while the recent launch of the 2023-2030 National Tobacco Strategy was admirable, strong focus was paramount.
“The key goal of the strategy is to reduce Australia’s daily smoking rate to under 5 per cent by 2030 – and that’s an ambitious target with the rate currently at 11 per cent,” Mr Brooke said.
“While Australia has been successful in reducing smoking rates through world leading policies, public awareness campaigns and program support, tobacco control is far from completed and vaping control is just getting started.
Mr Brooke said a new Lung Foundation Australia survey showed people were aware that vaping and smoking carried health risks, so more education and action is needed in supporting them to end the addiction, or never start it at all.
“What the survey showed was 48 per cent of past and current smokers or vapers considered themselves at risk of lung disease, and people who currently smoked and vaped (69 per cent) were most likely to believe this.
“Encouragingly 42 per cent of past and current smokers or vapers have discussed their lung health with a health professional, with the figure surging to 82 per cent for those who currently smoked and vaped – this shows us that people are desperate to be given tools to stop putting their health at risk,” he said.
Mr Brooke said healthy public policy is the most effective tool to reach smoking reduction targets, as demonstrated by the success of plain packaging laws, advertising reforms and increased taxation.
“The government’s new $63 million public health campaign to combat vaping and smoking rates is vital and Lung Foundation Australia is determined to work with them in the development stages to ensure the message is empowering and doesn’t stigmatise smokers or vapers,” he said.
“The tactics Big Tobacco use to maintain an addictive hold on Australians, particularly among groups with higher tobacco use than the general population, are ever more calculating.
“We need to educate and lead with empathy when it comes to fighting their insidious, greed-driven assault on public health.
“This World No Tobacco Day Lung Foundation Australia urge all Australian governments to wholly support the National Tobacco Strategy and call for coordination between jurisdictions to implement this life-saving plan, with the imminent reforms presenting an exciting opportunity for action that will see Australia as a world leader in tobacco and vaping control.”
