Tobacco in Australia

1. Tobacco in Australia What needs to be done

2. Outline The problem Populations at highest risk Economic cost What should we do? Public opinion Media campaigns International responsibility Why act now?

3. The problem Tobacco: our No. 1 preventable health, drug problem Kills around 15,000 Australians a year Biggest preventable cause of cancer and heart disease, our two leading causes of early death Linked with all seven diseases causing most deaths��� Responsible for over $31b pa in costs to the Australian economy � Responsible for 56% of total drug abuse costs � more than alcohol and all other drugs combined�� Causes over $15b in workplace costs � twice as much as alcohol and all other drugs combined Over 750,000 hospital bed days a year - 8% by children under 15 Over $600m annual hospital costs Around 18% of Australians 14yrs+ still smoke � around 3 million Indigenous smoking rate much higher � around 50% ! 

4. Tobacco: our No.1 preventable killer

5. Children at risk 36 Australian babies and children under 15 die each year (one every 10 days) from involuntary (in utero� & secondhand) tobacco smoke��� Over 60,000 hospital bed days a year occupied by children as a result of tobacco exposure�� Tobacco smoke now the leading preventable cause of SIDS deaths� Over 140,000 (9% of) Australian schoolchildren smoke at least weekly � including 18% of 17-year-olds Children have ready access to cigarettes: 23% of schoolchildren aged 12-17 (and 29% of 16-year-olds) are supplied illegally by shops���� Tobacco industry says �we don�t want children to smoke�, but targets children by pitching to cool, fashionable images, pop, sport etc 80-90% of smokers are under 18 when they start � half are <16�

6. Others especially at risk Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people Culturally and Linguistically Diverse communities with high smoking rates Adolescents and young adults � especially pregnant women and those intending to start families, and their partners Mental health clients and staff Inmates, detainees and staff in correctional settings Patients/clients and staff in some health care settings Staff/patrons in hospitality/gaming/dining venues and other smoky workplaces

7. The economic cost Smoking costs Australia a staggering $31bn a year � conservative estimate of real social cost, mostly to health system and business. This dwarfs the $6.7b contributed by tobacco excise. And who pays?  Business and Governments � in health care costs; in lost productivity � early retirement, sickness absence etc Smokers � half of all long-term smokers will eventually die from tobacco � losing an average of 10 years life; half of these will die during productive middle age, losing 20-25 years of life�� Non-smokers including:- Babies born to smoking mothers have lower birth weights and increased risk of SIDS and respiratory diseases- Workers and patrons - substantial costs incurred where people are exposed to tobacco smoke in workplaces and public places���

8. What should we do? Raise tobacco prices � especially by increasing taxes Increase government investment in mass media quit campaigns Extend smokefree public places/workplaces laws End all forms of tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship Address special needs of disadvantaged populations to maximise quitting Note that 85% of smokers want to quit and are susceptible to incentives � only a small minority are �hard cases�

9. Australians want better tobacco control The 2007 National Drug Strategy Household Survey of almost 25,000 Australians aged 12 and over shows very strong and increasing public support for measures to reduce problems caused by tobacco� 90.1% for stricter enforcement of laws against illegal sales to minors� 87.5% for stricter penalties for sale to minors� 82% for smokefree workplaces� 77% for smokefree pubs and clubs 73.6% for tobacco products out of sight in shops� 71.6% for sellers to be licensed � 68.6% for increasing tax on tobacco to contribute to treatment costs; 67.1% for increasing this tax to pay for health education; 65.7% to discourage smoking� 66.4% for making it harder to buy tobacco in shops. �

10. Anti-smoking media campaigns are highly cost-effective Evidence shows effective programs can cut smoking rates, death & disease - AND bring clear economic benefits short-to-medium term.  The National Tobacco Campaign (says Commonwealth Health Dept report) saved $2 for every $1 spent over 40 years The NTC�s first 6 months spent $8.95m - but brought cost savings of nearly $40m � it paid for itself more than 4x.� NTC brought first fall in adult smoking prevalence in almost 10 yrs Some US states have cut daily smoking to <15% - we can do likewise � but only with sustainable funding for a comprehensive strategy � California�s comprehensive program cut personal health care costs by $86b in its first 15 yrs - a 50-fold return on the $1.8b program cost� Study: further investment in tobacco control will stem a PBS drug-subsidy blowout and help government ensure the viability of Australia�s health financing programs

11. A global epidemic

12. Our international responsibility Worldwide, tobacco causes over FIVE MILLION preventable deaths a year. Without urgent action, ONE BILLION will die in the 21st century. Australia is bound by international law to take comprehensive action against the global tobacco epidemic. We�re committed to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) -World Health Organisation convention of over 160 countries. Australia ratified the treaty in October 2004 and it took effect worldwide from 27/2/05.� The FCTC holds a historic opportunity for global action. It needs a whole-of-government approach - federal, state, territory and local - to fight tobacco in Australia, the Pacific region and the world.��� �

13. Why act now? More delay means more preventable deaths, disease and costs Australia must raise tobacco taxes or our smoking rate fall will falter  A 2009 study warns that quit rates must double for the Australian smoking rate to fall to 10% by 2020 At present quit and initiation rates, the daily smoking rate will fall from the present 17% only to around 14% FCTC treaty is an unprecedented opportunity for global action Treasury report on Australia�s Demographic Challenges warns that with an ageing population, low retention rates and rising health care costs, rebalancing towards preventive medicine is critical and represents �value for money�� The community wants stronger action now

14. ASH Australia Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) Australia is a non-government, non-profit registered health charityfunded by the Cancer Council Australia and Heart Foundation Website: www.ashaust.org.auContact: staffords@ashaust.org.au Phone: (02) 9334-1823