29 avril 2008
Tax hike on cigarettes 'could curb smoking'
The Federal
Government's top adviser on preventative health, Dr Rob Moodie, says increasing
the tax on tobacco would be a very effective way to curb smoking.
The Government is
set to reap $2 billion in extra revenue after it increased the tax on the
sweet, ready-mixed alcoholic drinks which it says are responsible for a significant
rise in binge drinking, particularly amongst young Australian women.
Dr Moodie, chairman
of the National Preventative Health Task Force and professor of global health
at Melbourne University
"One of the
major successes, I guess, in Australia
"It's now time
we did increase the cost of cigarettes, [which are] after all, the major killer
in Australia
"We know that
if for example we added an extra 2.5 cents to every cigarette stick, that would
across the board drop consumption by nearly 3 per cent.
"It's a major
contribution to public health."
Dr Moodie says that
increasing tax on cigarettes could be instituted relatively rapidly.
But a recent study
published in the American Journal of Public Health questioned the effectiveness
of price increases to cut consumption, and raised concerns about the burden
placed on poorer smokers.
Dr Moodie says
funding for quit smoking programs would address these concerns.
"Certainly the
work that Quit Victoria have been doing on this, still shows that there is a
very close relationship between price and consumption," Dr Moodie said.
He says money raised
by this increased tax, suggested at the recent 2020 summit, should go towards a
national preventative health agency.
28 mars 2008
Govts seek self-extinguishing cigarettes
Self-extinguishing cigarettes could be mandatory from next year, following a meeting of emergency services ministers in Canberra.
A final decision will be up to Treasurer Wayne Swan but federal Attorney-General Robert McClelland said a commitment was reached at the meeting.
"We have committed to implementing a national standard for the introduction of reduced fire-risk cigarettes," he told reporters in Canberra.
"We're making recommendations to the treasurer," Mr McClelland said.
"The reality is that while there is commitment from all governments to implement it, there will be some consultation with industry.
"The timetable we have asked treasury to work towards is early 2009."
Mr Swan will have the final call because making the change mandatory would require an amendment to the Trade Practices Act.
NSW Emergency Services Minister Nathan Rees, who initiated the debate, said 67 people died last year from fires started by cigarettes.
"This issue has been around since 2005," Mr Rees said.
"In NSW, we have up to 20 deaths each year directly attributable to cigarettes that can't extinguish themselves and that's in addition to property damage which in some cases is up to $80 million a year."
A spokesman for the Australian arm of British American Tobacco said the company was broadly supportive of the aim.
"British American Tobacco supports the goal of reducing the incidents of fires caused by the careless disposal of lit cigarettes," spokesman Bede Fennell told AAP.
"We have been an active participant in the consultation process with the ACCC and Standards Australia and are grateful of the opportunity to ensure the practicalities of such a change and all unintended consequences are ironed out."
Mr Fennell warned smokers not to treat the new cigarettes as "safe".
"It is important, however, that smokers are aware that cigarettes produced to meet the proposed reduced-fire risk standard are not fire safe and all lit cigarettes should be carefully disposed of."