One in five Australian children who try vaping will move on to using cigarettes; just one of the reasons Lung Foundation Australia is calling for tobacco and vaping industry influence to be extinguished this World No Tobacco Day.
Lung Foundation Australia CEO Mark Brooke said with children as young as 12 increasingly becoming nicotine dependent, it was time for all political parties and independents to work with the Government to act on protecting our most vulnerable against a lifetime of disease and needless addiction.
“Protecting children from tobacco industry interference is the theme of World No Tobacco Day 2024, and we must work together now to protect future generations, and ensure tobacco use continues to decline,” Mr Brooke said.
“The Australian Parliament are close to deciding on legislation that would help by restricting e-cigarette access to those with a prescription from a health professional. Lung Foundation Australia joins with the nation’s peak health bodies and Australian parents in calling for this to occur.”
“Like other therapeutic goods and medicines, e-cigarettes must be regulated and access restricted for their intended purpose, to aid smokers to quit. The last 60 years of tobacco and lung health research has shown us that it will take decades for the impact of e-cigarettes to be truly understood, but the short-term impacts should be harrowing enough.
“Even though the Tobacco Industry is to blame, every smoker regrets taking up the addiction of a product that kills two in three long term users.”
Lung Foundation Australia advocate Naomi Fitzakerley experienced the insidious influence of the tobacco industry in her youth and now sees the same tactics used to market e-cigarettes to her daughter.
“As a teenager what brands and strength we smoked was a sign of status, and let’s face it, I had to think the pack was pretty. The rise of vaping amongst teenagers and kids today is due to many of the same reasons my generation started smoking,” Ms Fitzakerley said.
“We regularly see vape deals being done on the drive to school drop off, and it’s seen as a social thing for teenage girls to go into the bathrooms to vape together.
“In the past, government took decades too long to support initiatives that worked to reduce the influence and impact of tobacco and the tobacco industry. Please, don’t fail to act now when we know what the consequences will be.”
One way that Australia can tackle tobacco industry influence is through legislation.
Lung Foundation Australia also encourages all Australian jurisdictions to follow the lead of New South Wales and amend their Electoral Acts to prohibit political donations from the tobacco industry.
“To progress an action area of the National Tobacco Strategy and meet Australia’s obligations under the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control we must ensure that the tobacco industry has no influence on our politics,” Mr Brooke said.
“We note that in 2022-23, tobacco companies gave $130,000 to the National Party of Australia, with British American Tobacco donating for the first time in over a decade, and it is remarkable now to see this generally tax-shy political party now calling for taxes to be introduced to keep these products profitable, despite the clear adverse health outcomes.”
“Protecting the lungs of our young Australians should be something we are all fighting for.”
Lung Foundation Australia has developed a suite of vaping and e-cigarettes resources to fill the knowledge gap. These resources are designed by and for young Australians, educators and parents and carers, to arm you with accurate and evidenced-based information.
For media enquiries please contact:
Lung Foundation Australia Media and Communications Specialist
Anna Hilton
0408 191 192
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