Media Releases

'Every cigarette is doing you damage' campaign has helped save thousands of lives: Wooldridge

Confronting images of the ramifications of smoking contributed to 190,000 Australians quitting the habit, according to research released today by Federal Health and Aged Care Minister, Dr Michael Wooldridge, to celebrate World No Tobacco Day.

MW 55/99
31 May 1999

Confronting images of the ramifications of smoking contributed to 190,000 Australians quitting the habit, according to research released today by Federal Health and Aged Care Minister, Dr Michael Wooldridge, to celebrate World No Tobacco Day.

The disturbing television and newspaper advertisements featuring clogged arteries and damaged lungs evoked reactions from smokers unsurpassed by any national anti-smoking campaign in Australia's history.

"According to research taken to evaluate the success of the National Tobacco Campaign, there has been a 1.4 per cent drop in the number of people smoking or 190,000 people - enough to fill the MCG with the remainder filling large parts of the SCG, Football Park in Adelaide, Subiaco Oval in Perth and the ANZ Stadium in Brisbane," Dr Wooldridge said.

"This is a magnificent result, particularly since these figures only represent the first six months of the campaign which is about to enter its third year.

"Potentially 190,000 lives have been prolonged or saved because smokers heard the message that Every Cigarette is Doing You Damage and they acted on it."

Dr Wooldridge said there was strong evidence from the two surveys undertaken in May and November 1997 that the graphic, confronting television commercials and accompanying services such as the Quitline, have been associated with an increase in quitting activity.

"There has been progress through stages of change towards quitting and a higher percentage of smokers who reported making actual quit attempts in the six months following the campaign launch, compared with before the campaign," he said.

"The research shows that 29 per cent of smokers who rang the Quitline 131 848 in the first month of the campaign were not smoking at the one year point after calling the line.

"Six months after the campaign launch, smokers were more ready to quit smoking, compared with the pre-campaign period."

Dr Wooldridge said the surveys showed the campaign advertising was seen and remembered by smokers who thought them believable and personally relevant and made them think about quitting.

"This has been a great result and shows that well-targeted campaigns with the active support of medical, health and anti-smoking groups, working together with governments, can make a marked and genuine difference."

Dr Wooldridge said he was particularly pleased that this campaign had already moved beyond Australia's shores and that parts of the campaign have been used in the United States, New Zealand, Canada, Singapore and Great Britain.

"Tobacco smoking is a huge, worldwide health problem," he said.

"It's estimated that 1.1 billion people in the world currently smoke and 3.5 million people die each year from tobacco.

"By 2020, it's predicted that tobacco will become the single greatest cause of death and disability and it's for this reason I am proud to announce Australia is going to play its role in the world effort to reduce tobacco smoking by providing $450,000 to assist the WHO with the development and implementation of its Tobacco Free Initiative.

"The Department of Health and Aged Care will provide $200,000 of this and the rest will be provided through Australia's overseas' aid budget."

In Australia, the Federal Government has taken unprecedented anti-smoking action over the past three years. These include further restrictions on tobacco advertising; the phasing out of tobacco sponsorship of sport by 2006; proposed increases in tobacco excise duties; expanded education programs and significantly increased funding for tobacco cessation strategies.

Media Contact:
Adam Connolly, Dr Wooldridge's office, 02 6277 7220
Kay McNiece, National Tobacco Campaign 02 6289 6996