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SmokeFree Tasmania

SmokeFree Tasmania is a 

health advocacy organisation,

and

The goal is to advance the Endgame for Tobacco, by supporting 

 the Tobacco Free Generation.

      • Immediate adoption of the Tobacco Free Generation approach that permits sales of smoking products* only to those born before a specified date.

      • A formal review by 2030 to produce a specific date for ending all sales of smoking products in Tasmania.

      • *NB in Tasmania the definition of “smoking products includes conventional tobacco products, cigarettes, RYO, e-cigarettes and heat-not-burn products. 

Latest News

UK Rishi Sunak Prime Minister to create ‘smokefree generation’ by ending cigarette sales to those born on or after 1 January 2009

Government to introduce historic new law to protect future generations of young people from the harms of smoking.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/prime-minister-to-create-smokefree-generation-by-ending-cigarette-sales-to-those-born-on-or-after-1-january-2009

Our Work in Tasmania is acknowledged in this ABC Report on the World today 4 October 2023. 

Scroll through to 13.40, and Tasmania is discussed at 16.23 

The federal government Health Minister Mark Butler has announced that it will ban the sale of e-cigarettes in Australia, except those prescribed by a medical practitioner for the purpose of quitting smoking.

This is great news – and we look forward to learning about how this will be done.


The long awaited National Tobacco Strategy 2023 – 2030 has been released. It includes a provision that gives hope for a phase out of the sale of tobacco products. 

8.11 Consider the feasibility of raising the minimum age of purchase of tobacco products and monitor international developments on this matter.

Responsibility: Australian Government, state and territory governments.

However, this wording is unfortunate – as it should deal with the phase out of the sale of tobacco products to anyone born after a certain date, eg 2006, rather than describe the “age of purchase”. It is NOT purchasers, smokers or children who should be penalised. We consider it is the sellers, the smugglers and the dealers who should be penalised.  


The  Tasmanian Tobacco Action Plan 2022-2026 was launched by Premier Jeremy Rockliff on 6 July 2022. The plan was developed by the government and many non-government organisation (including SmokeFree Tasmania) and researchers. 


A Workshop was conducted in June 2021 in Launceston titled “Choosing Tobacco or Health – Where to from here? 

Presentations from the workshop may be found on the Links  page. 

The Resolution from the Workshop may also be found on the Links page

The ABC Four Corners Program exposed the rise of vaping in Australia, in children. 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-06-28/vaping-investigation-four-corners-liberal-party-donations/101176612#:~:text=Four%20Corners%20has%20discovered%20the,in%20Australia%20without%20a%20prescription.

A national vaping lobby group donated a total of $44,000 to the Liberal Party but the money was declared as personal gifts from its director on electoral returns. 

Four Corners has discovered the donations were made as part of a series of “roundtable events” with Coalition MPs and came amid furious disagreement within the former government over the future of e-cigarettes — or vapes — in Australia.

It’s illegal to sell or possess nicotine vapes in Australia without a prescription.

thriving black market has emerged in which cheap, disposable devices are sold on social media and under the counter in major tobacconist chains across the country. 

As authorities struggle to stamp out illegal sales, the vaping industry and advocates — including some politicians — continue to push for broad legal access.

Dakota’s doctors thought she might have COVID, but it was vaping that put her in ICU

Dakota wearing a white dress, sitting at a table outside and holding her phone.

 

Research on T21 in Tasmania

The Menzies Research Institute for Medical Research in Tasmania has produced several comprehensive reports relating to the potential for T21 to reduce the uptake of smoking among young people. 

Associate Professor Seana Gall and Dr. Suzanne Waddingham conducted the research. You can read the reports here:
T21 Report 1 – Secondary analysis
T21 Report 2 – Youth Online Survey final 020920
T21 Report 3 – Stakeholder online survey 2020
T21 Report 4 – Stakeholder and youth interview report final 020920
T21 research summary

See more detail here.

Fun Video of research

Research on the economic effects of T21 on Small and Medium Business (SMEs)

A research report commissioned by Minderoo and SmokeFree Tasmania, at the request of the Tasmanian Government, was completed by Dr. Graeme Wells in September 2020 and is available.

Smoking imposes costs on society. For Tasmania, recent estimates of tangible costs (compared to a situation where no one smokes) amount to approximately $600 million per annum.
Research commissioned from Wells Economic Analysis Tasmania  provides indicative benefits and costs from T21. Tasmania would be $600 million better off if nobody smoked. But if the more conservative outcomes as predicted by the US Surgeon General were to apply to Tasmania, the long run effect of T21 on tangible costs to Tasmania are estimated at $72 million per annum, compared to the indicative long-run effect on the small and medium business sector which is a reduction in constant-price gross profit of $3-4m per annum
Wells Economic Analysis T21 in Tasmania September 2020

T21 and Small and medium Enterprises, Presentation to the Tasmanian Legislative Council:  T21 and SMEs 30 November

The Economic Benefit to cost ratio of T21 is 19.6 to 1

The Second Reading Speech October 2020 by Hon. Ivan Dean MLC  for the T21 Bill can be accessed here:

Second Reading Speech T21 27 October 2020

See ALSO our page on COVID-19 and smoking 

Mitchell Institute reports that some low SES areas in Tasmania have the highest smoking rates in the country, over 30%. 

 

We believe that  TFG laws will help to reduce smoking rates in Tasmania this century. We commit to reducing the smoking of tobacco products in Tasmania, and eventually ending the commercial sale of cigarettes and tobacco by 2030.

For more about tobacco smoking and measures to curb the tobacco industry  – See also our Facebook page 

More than 500 Tasmanians die every year from smoking tobacco products.

SmokeFree Tasmania concentrates on population level endgame initiatives which focus on circumventing actions of the tobacco industry, in order to reduce smoking rates across Tasmania and Australia.  Other organisations focus on helping individual smokers to quit.

Why do we need the T21 – and what is it?

Congratulations to Hobart City Council – new smoke free areas from 15 October 2019

Most people start smoking as children, and most obtain cigarettes from their same age peers. 62% of cigarettes are gifted from same age peers. 19% are purchased, 12% bought illegally, and 7% supplied by parents or siblings. (Ref: Bariola & Scaczowski 2013)

Why do young people start smoking? The main reasons are peer influence and the desire to appear grown-up. The tobacco companies have designed and engineered cigarettes to be more addictive and attractive to children.

See what happened in the US – now more than half the US population covered by T21.

Look at what nicotine does to the brain – it actually ALTERS the structure of the brain.

Read the Second Reading Speech on Parliament website October 2019 on the PUBLIC HEALTH AMENDMENT (PREVENTION OF SALE OF SMOKING PRODUCTS TO UNDERAGE PERSONS) BILL 2018 also available here.

The tobacco industry has known this for many years, which is why they publicly  support legislated age barriers – like age 18 . As far back as 1977 Imperial Tobacco said in their Project 16 (a project designed to hook children into smoking) cigarettes are a “badge of coming of age”,  a symbol of the onset of maturity.

Imperial Tobacco also said, way back in 1977,  “There is no doubt that peer group influence is the single most important factor in the decision by an adolescent to smoke.”

Dr. Adrian Reynolds from the AMA has said the T21 would provide a line in the sand, a generational fire-break, protecting the next generation from tobacco, moving on to the tobacco free generation and creating the Lucky Generation.

SmokeFree Tasmania thanks T21 expert Ginny Chadwick for coming to Tasmania from the US to explain how successful T21 has been .

Left to right, Tess Howard, Bruce Mansfield, Ginny Chadwick, Dr.  Kathryn Barnsley

 

The Minderoo Foundation supports T21

Hear Jason Trewin’s story

Ivan Dean Neil Francey Wendy Parmet evidence to LegCo explain why  TFG is a viable intervention.
  • Neil Francey LLB (Qld) LLM Hons (Syd)   Barrister,and
  • Professor Wendy Parmet, George J. and Kathleen Waters Matthews Distinguished Professor of Law and Professor of Public Policy and Urban Affairs Northeastern University School of Law , Boston.

Deaths caused by smoking in Tasmania, compared to other selected causes

deaths caused by smoking

Costs of smoking in Tasmania

According to a  Report completed for the Cancer Council Tasmania, in 2013-14, about 500 Tasmanian deaths were attributable to smoking. “In this same period, smoking cost the Tasmanian society an estimated $465 million in tangible costs (including health care costs and the loss of productivity because of reduction in workforce). If the current smoking rate is reduced to the target of 10 per cent by 2020, it is estimated that this would result in tangible cost savings of $969 million over a 20-year period. This would justify annual expenditures of up to $114 million for 20 years to assist in a comprehensive strategy designed to reduce smoking rates.

2017 Final Year Medical Students UTAS support the Tobacco Free Generation

holding banners saying “Make this the Lucky Generation”, 

“We are ready for the Tobacco Free Generation “and

“Thank you Ivan and fellow Legislative Councillors for standing up for our rights to health”

INWAT supports the Tobacco Free Generation

The International Network of Women Against Tobacco (INWAT) www.inwat.org  is a network of female experts across the globe working to:

  • Reduce tobacco use amongst women and girls and
  • Promote women’s leadership in tobacco control

INWAT strongly supports the Tobacco Free Generation proposal.

The Public Health Advocacy Unit North Eastern University  in Boston Massachusetts supports the TFG.

SmokeFree Tasmania congratulates

Balanga City in the Philippines which has implemented the Tobacco Free Generation

The Statement by the Office of the Mayor says at: Balanga City_3 Balanga City_2

“Implementing member of TFG refers to person born on or after 01 Jan 2000 in COB. No person shall sell tobacco to a TFG member. This is a novel ordinance for only the City Government of Balanga has this.

Lindblom on ethical issues  

“……raising their minimum sales age annually by an additional year until their legal market disappears … would not unduly restrict individual liberty and would be ethically appropriate.”.” Lindblom_Ethical issues_AJPH178

Professor Prabhat Jha visited Tasmania on Monday 3 April 2017, gave a lecture at the Menzies Research Institute and met with a number of politicians. He is pictured in Parliament House with Rebecca White, ALP leader (centre) and Dr. Harley Stanton (left).

International recognition of the  Tasmanian TFG initiative at a World Conference in India in 2013, and the World Conference on Tobacco and Health ( WCTOH ) in Abu Dhabi March 2015.

“The conference commends jurisdictions including the Australian state of Tasmania that are advancing initiatives to create Tobacco Free Generations for all persons born since the year 2000″MargaretChanAdrianREynoldsJonBerrickWCTOH

Director-General of the WHO Dr. Margaret Chan pictured with Dr. Adrian Reynolds (left) and Prof. Jon Berrick at the WCTOH.

SmokeFree Tasmania supports the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. (FCTC)

More international interest – from Korea

A film crew from Daegu MBC Korea Broadcasting company  flew to Tasmania on 9 December to interview Hon. Ivan Dean about the Tobacco Free Generation, and Dr. Kathryn Barnsley about SmokeFree Tasmania.

Left to right: Seungbong Baik: Daegu MBC Cameraman (VJ);Hyung Chool Kim: Daegu MBC, Producer: Chang Kyu Shin: Daegu Medical Center, General Director; Dr. Kathryn Barnsley, SmokeFree Tasmania; Sungjin Park: Daegu Quit smoking Support Center, Head of Operation; Miu Lee: Interpreter; Sun Hwan Kim: Daegu MBC, Manager

NEWS

Pregnant smokers feature heavily in Tasmania’s “alarming” pre-term birth rate, according to experts who have joined forces to try to reduce the state’s figure.

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare figures show Tasmania’s pre-term birth rate has been rising steadily since 2005, and in 2016 it was the highest in the country.

In Tasmania, 669, or 11.3 per cent of babies, were born pre-term compared to the national average of 8.5 per cent.

“One in three of our young mothers aged under 20 continue to smoke through their pregnancy.

A prematurely born baby in a neonatal intensive care unit.

More women are undergoing lung cancer surgery in Australia. The marketing of so-called “light” cigarettes has caused this increase, in women smokers who took up the habit in the 1960s to 1990s. Yet another reason to ban filter ventilation and menthol.

Cigarette filters a tobacco industry engineering hoax .  State and federal governments already have the power to force cigarette companies to sell less attractive, less lethal, less addictive cigarettes. Mercury article by Anne Mather. Tasmanian Times article on “squeeze”ball filter flavours.

Pigs might fly. Prof. Simon Chapman’s response to Philip Morris’s announcement that they want to give up selling combustible tobacco.

Andrew (Twiggy) Forrest is proposing the raising of the “smoking age” to 21, as part of his plan to reduce cancer.

Tasmania’s Tobacco Control Plan 2017-2021 has been released.

A new Tasmanian Report shows that ceasing tobacco sales had no effect on retailer profitability.  See: Final draft_ why retailers stop selling tobacco full report_DHHSstyle 29052017 (1)

SmokeFree Tasmania has urged people to quit smoking if they are primary carers of small children, because of the risk of invasive meningococcal disease. All Tasmanian children and adolescents should be vaccinated.

Tasmania sinks to the bottom on AMA “Dirty Ashtray” awards, along with the NT and Victoria. The government fraternization with big tobacco and failure to conduct mass media education campaigns are the big criticisms. Dirty-Ashtray-Tasmania The Advocate and Examiner reports.

Governments are failing to provide information about tobacco industry influence on national drug strategies.

Time for an endgame in tobacco control.

No safe level of smoking: Even low-intensity smokers are at increased risk of earlier death, according to a new study from researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI).

Once again we have uncovered the tobacco industry’s sneaky tricks to make people smoke lethal light cigarettes. See our media release at: final-lights-101216 Dr. Stanton’s interview on WIN TV

and Dr. Nick Towle in the Advocate.

RESEARCH

Scollo et al report on the dirty tricks the tobacco industry has employed to sell more cigarettes, especially to children, since the introduction of plain packaging.

Great response to unhelpful social media shaming of pregnant women by Tasmanian researcher and warrior Mai Frandsen. Congratulations Mai! Titled “Risk, morality and emotion: social media responses to pregnant women who smoke”  

The Human Rights of children are violated by tobacco companies. A missing voice: the human rights of children to a tobacco-free environment

Cancer Council Tasmania survey shows support for the TFG from 87.9% of those aged 18-29 years.

Australian research by Banks et al, published in  BMC Medicine – shows up to two-thirds of deaths in current smokers can be attributed to smoking – Feb 2015. Summary.

AIHW NDS 2013 States x opinion – strong support in Tasmania for raising the legal age for sale to minors in Australia, and banning additives.

Over 500 Tasmanians die each year from tobacco use.

More men than women smoke in Tasmania.