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Australia: the healthiest country by 2020
National Preventative Health Strategy - Overview

Action on tobacco: A role for all Australians

Table of contents

Targets: reduce daily smoking to under 10% by 2020

Reduce the prevalence of daily smoking among adult Australians from 17.4% in 2007 to 10% or lower by 2020
Eliminate exposure to other people’s tobacco smoke, especially for children, and ensure smoking during pregnancy is minimal
Substantially reduce smoking and exposure to tobacco smoke among Indigenous Australians

Make tobacco products significantly more expensive

Ensure that the average price of a packet of 30 cigarettes is at least $20 (in 2008 $ terms) within three years, with equivalent increases in the price of roll-your-own and other tobacco products
Contribute to the development and implementation of international agreements and a national strategy to combat the illicit trade of tobacco
End duty free tobacco sales in Australia and abolish concessions for all travellers entering Australia

Increase the frequency, reach and intensity of social marketing campaigns

Allocate long-term funding at federal and state levels for sustained media campaigns
Run effective social marketing campaigns at levels of reach demonstrated to reduce smoking, choosing messages which ensure reach to young smokers and socially disadvantaged groups

Quit, as soon as possible
Keep trying, even if previous attempts to quit have failed
- Call the Quitline
- Ask a GP or local pharmacy for advice about quitting
- Consider using a medicine to help with withdrawal symptoms

Make home smoke-free
Protect your baby’s present and future health by quitting smoking
Be a positive role model to children – the single most important thing parents can do to stop their children from smoking is to quit
Make it clear that you do not want your children to smoke for the sake of their health

End all remaining forms of advertising and promotion of tobacco products
- Amend Tobacco Advertising Prohibition Act 1992 to require that no tobacco product may be sold expect in packaging of a shape, size, material and colour prescribed by government
- Amend legislation nationally and in all states to ensure tobacco is out-of-sight in retail outlets
Improve consumer product information related to tobacco products; mandate plain packaging, review health warnings content regularly and establish a system for Chief Medical Officer to issue early warning of new and emerging health concerns.
Ensure Nicotine Replacement Therapy is affordable for those
that need it
Give government power to regulate design, contents and maximum emissions for tobacco and related products, and establish a regulatory body with responsibility for specifying required disclosure to government, labelling and any other communication to consumers
Make smoking a classifiable element in movies and video games

Educate mental health professionals about the importance of quitting and not discouraging quit attempts by clients
Educate GPs and other health professionals about quit smoking benefits and successes for people with mental health problems
Ensure all child, adolescent and adult mental health facilities:
- Are smoke free
- Routinely identify smokers
- Include smoking cessation advice and treatment of nicotine dependence in all patient treatment plans
- Offer support to patients at transition points

Assist parents and educators to discourage tobacco use and protect young people from second-hand smoke
Cover the medical, social, environmental and economic aspects of tobacco in the school curriculum
Enforce smoke-free policies for students, staff and visitors consistently, both indoors and on school grounds

Extend smoke-free workplace policies to apply to building entrances and ban the retail sale of cigarettes in canteens and on-site shops
Provide support and incentives for employees to quit and stay smoke-free

Boost efforts to discourage smoking among people in other highly disadvantaged groups
Implement community-based tobacco control projects, especially in highly disadvantaged communities

Eliminate exposure to second-hand smoke in public places
Amend current legislation to:
- Ensure smoking is prohibited in any public places where the public, particularly children, are likely to be exposed
- Ensure children are not exposed to tobacco smoke when travelling in cars
- Protect against exposure to second-hand smoke in workplaces, including outdoor areas
Further regulate supply of tobacco products
Amend current legislation to:
- Preclude sales through vending machines, the internet, and at hospitality and other social venues
- Require all tobacco retailers be licensed
Ensure all smokers in contact with health services are encouraged and supported to quit
Ensure all state and territory funded healthcare services are smoke-free indoors and on facility grounds
Ensure all state and territory funded human services agencies and correctional facilities are smoke-free and provide appropriate cessation supports
Increase availability of Quitline services

Work with state and local governments and community organisations to discourage smoking in highly disadvantaged neighbourhoods
Place the majority of any outdoor or mobile advertising campaign in highly disadvantaged areas

Ensure that all patients are routinely asked about their smoking status and supported to quit
Train heath professionals in smoking cessation counselling

Ensure all pregnant women and those planning pregnancy are routinely asked about their smoking status and supported to quit

Boost efforts to reduce smoking among Indigenous Australians
Establish multi-component community-based tobacco control projects that are locally developed and delivered
Work with government to enhance social marketing campaigns for Indigenous smokers ensuring a ‘twin track’ approach of complementing mainstream campaigns with Indigenous-specific elements
Train Indigenous health workers to provide smoking cessation advice and develop community-based tobacco control programs
Trial incentive program for Indigenous young people to stay smoke free

Measure progress against and towards targets

Address the current gaps in the developed surveillance system on tobacco to enable governments to assess progress and ensure targets will be met

Ensure the public, media, politicians and other leaders remain aware of the need for sustained and vigorous action to discourage tobacco use