Australians want governments to prioritise public health over revenue from tobacco and vaping products, and keep those industries out of influencing public policy, according to a new national survey commissioned by Lung Foundation Australia.
The YouGov survey found:
- 84% of Australians agree that protecting public health should be prioritised over government tax revenue from tobacco and vaping products. Support for this statement ranged from 83% to 88% among LNP, Labor, Greens and One Nation voters.
- 83% say tobacco and vaping companies should not influence public policy; 82% say politicians should not accept donations from tobacco-related industries.
- 92% agree tobacco, vaping and nicotine products can cause serious health harms. With 84% say nicotine addiction among children aged 12–17 years who use vapes and other nicotine products is a problem; 86% say the same for young people aged 18–24.
During both the Senate inquiry and the New South Wales inquiry into illicit tobacco earlier this year, tobacco companies were secretly invited to provide evidence anonymously. This reflects a concerning example of tobacco industry interference, allowing the industry privileged access to decision-makers while avoiding public scrutiny.
Tobacco companies have consistently advocated for reductions in tobacco excise, despite decades of evidence that higher tobacco prices are among the most effective measures for reducing smoking uptake and encouraging people to quit.
Tobacco use already costs Australia an estimated $159.7 billion each year through ill health, healthcare expenditure, lost productivity and premature mortality. Reducing tobacco excise risks increasing smoking uptake and reducing quit attempts, which would ultimately drive even greater health and economic costs in the future.
Lung Foundation Australia is calling for stronger measures to address tobacco and vaping industry interference, including banning political donations and lobbying by those industries and organisations acting on their behalf.
Federal and State and Territory Governments should also increase transparency around interactions with industry representatives, strengthen monitoring and enforcement, and publicly expose tactics used to influence policy and undermine public health measures.
The survey findings come amid proposals from the Liberal National Party and One Nation to significantly reduce tobacco excise and expand retail access to vaping products. The survey results show the vast majority of Australians are more concerned about nicotine addiction and health harms than government revenue and support stronger measures to reduce nicotine addiction, not make nicotine products more readily available.
Lung Foundation Australia Chief Executive Officer Mark Brooke said the findings showed Australians expected governments to put people’s health first.
“Protecting public health means more than setting the right policies. It also means safeguarding the decisions behind them. Political donations and lobbying by tobacco, vaping and related industries should be banned, and interactions with industry made transparent,” Mr Brooke said.
“Any debate about tobacco excise must also consider the broader health and economic costs of tobacco use. Governments need strong monitoring and enforcement to ensure public health measures are not undermined.”
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