“Buying smokes with your milk and bread shouldn’t be allowed”
Lung Foundation Australia call for change this World No Tobacco Day
Lung Foundation Australia is challenging the nation’s leading supermarkets to put Australian’s lung health before profits by committing to stop selling cigarettes and tobacco products.
Ahead of this year’s World No Tobacco Day on May 31, Lung Foundation Australia CEO Mark Brooke said it was simply irresponsible to continue to allow people to be able to buy smokes with their bread and milk.
“We need everyone from government to big corporations to put the lung health of Australians ahead of profits from a product that kills 66 Australians daily,” he said. “Previous news reports have highlighted Coles estimates their cigarette sales each year is enough to kill more than 1600 Australians and cause tobacco-related medical costs of more than $300million a year.1”
While federal and state and territory governments have all strengthened their tobacco control legislation in recent times, there is still more they can do.
In line with the National Tobacco Strategy 2023-2030, states and territories should look to restrict the number of tobacco retail outlets via their tobacco licensing schemes.
The federal government can support broader efforts by investigating the health and economic impacts of a generational phase out of tobacco products.
Associate Professor Henry Marshall, a thoracic physician at The Prince Charles Hospital and University of Queensland Thoracic Research Centre, supports the call for corporations to lead the charge in stopping tobacco sales.
“Nicotine is addictive as heroin,” he said. “The difference is you can’t buy heroin with your weekly shopping.”
“People who smoke deserve more help from health professionals and the government. I would like to see people demand action from the multinational tobacco companies who have known smoking causes lung cancer since before 1954 and continued to sell products to make profit off Australians. It is time we said, ‘enough is enough’.”
“It is hard to fight an addiction while also being able to buy tobacco products so easily.”
Sarah Waters smoked for 28 years starting when she was 13 years old saying it was the cool thing to do.
“It took me 27 years to quit for good,” she explained. “The first time I tried quitting was within a year of starting as I was a middle-distance runner and noticed it was affecting my sporting ability.”
The now 52-year-old who rewards herself with overseas holidays with the money she has saved from quitting.
“It isn’t easy to quit but not being able to buy cigarettes so easily would have made a big difference. When I started smoking there was no age limits in place, and they were marketed to young people as being cool.”
For people wanting to quit smoking, there are a variety of supports available and Mark Brooke highlights the importance of creating a personalised quit plan.
“Seeking support from your GP, healthcare practitioner or Quitline is vital, and research shows that having ongoing support is the most effective way to quit,” he said.
“Lung Foundation Australia encourage Australians who are ready to start their quit journey to call Quitline on 13 7848 or request a call back from quit.org.au/request-callback.”
Lung Foundation Australia, the only charity and leading peak body of its kind in Australia, enables life-saving lung health and lung cancer research, championing programs so that Australians with lung disease and lung cancer can live their best life. Find out more at www.lungfoundation.com.au
For media enquiries please contact:
Lani Hepple
0403 831 583
lanih@lungfoundation.com.au