Tasmanians Congratulated on Landmark Decision to Phase Out Tobacco Displays

Tasmanian parliamentarians should be congratulated for leading the nation on the removal of tobacco displays and setting an example for other jurisdictions to follow, The Cancer Council Australia said today after a landmark amendment to Tasmanian health legislation was passed by the state’s upper house.

Chief Executive Officer Professor Ian Olver said the Tasmanian Legislative Council’s decision to phase out display of tobacco products in all retailers except specialist tobacconists by February 2011 would assist smokers trying to quit and help prevent the addiction of new smokers.Professor Olver said the challenge was now with other jurisdictions to follow Tasmania’s lead and take a unified national approach to tobacco control by removing the visual temptation to continue or take up a life-threatening, highly addictive habit.”New research from The Cancer Council Victoria shows that more than half of smokers who are trying to quit can be induced into a relapse by seeing tobacco products on display,” Professor Olver said.”New smokers are also more likely to become addicted if tobacco products are more plainly visible, as retail display is an effective way of tempting someone to make a purchase.”Professor Olver said each year 7700 Australians died from cancers caused by smoking, with around the same number of smoking-related deaths from other illnesses such as emphysema, heart disease and stroke.He said that while Australia was a world leader in tobacco control, almost one in five Australian adults were daily smokers, many of whom wanted to quit but struggled with nicotine addiction.”Sweden, the United States, Portugal and Canada all have lower smoking rates than Australia, so we have a long way to go to meet our potential as a nation to reduce the death, disease and economic costs of smoking,” Professor Olver said.”The Tasmanians have raised the bar by committing to remove tobacco products from sight, so it is up to the other states and territories to follow this groundbreaking commitment to improved public health.”Professor Olver said Tasmania, along with South Australia, had also shown national leadership by legislating to ban smoking in cars carrying young children.(Source: Glen Turner : Cancer Council Australia : November 2007)