Tobacco

National Tobacco Strategy 2004-2009: Implementation - Commonwealth

Commonwealth component of National Tobacco Strategy 2004-2009 implementation progress report.

PDF printable version of National Tobacco Strategy 2004-2009: Implementation - Commonwealth (PDF 22 KB)

1. Further use of regulation - including regulation of promotion, place of sale, tobacco tax, place of use, packaging, and tobacco products.

Ongoing implementation of new graphic health warnings to meet the 1 March 2006 deadline.

Currently drafting Australian Government policy position papers on flavoured cigarettes, ingredients disclosure and reduced ignition propensity cigarettes.

Ongoing monitoring of regulation and legislative requirements to ensure Australia continues to comply with the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).

Review of the Tobacco Advertising Prohibition Act 1992 ('the Act') to ensure internet sites are covered by the Act.

2. Increased promotion of Quit and Smoke-free messages - including all advertising, communication or campaign activities that promote quit or smoke-free messages.

The Australian Government is currently investigating options for implementation of a youth smoking cessation media campaign.

The Australian Government continues to support the Rock and Croc Festivals as important health promotion and drug prevention events. Both include messages about tobacco free lifestyles. In 2004, six National Tobacco Campaign television commercials were placed throughout the Rock Eisteddfod Challenge National TV Specials and three throughout the State TV Specials. The evaluation showed that respondents reported that both the commercials and the program made them think about their own behaviour in regard to smoking (76%), taking drugs (69%) and drinking alcohol (61%).

3. Improved services and treatment for smokers - including cessation services and treatment including behavioural support, self help material, telephone counselling, face to face group or individual counselling.

The Australian Government has recently established an Advisory Group to provide expert advice and direction relating to the implementation of the smoking and pregnancy measure announced in the 2005-2006 Budget.

4. More useful support for parents and educators - including efforts to ensure the community is well informed about smoking to support parents and educators to help prevent uptake of smoking among children such as school education campaigns, non-smoking norms in communities.

New health warnings provide an opportunity to further educate parents on the health effects of smoking.

5. Tailoring for disadvantaged groups - including measures designed to ensure access to information, treatment and services for people in highly disadvantaged groups particularly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people suffering severe or disabling mental illness, institutionalised people including those in custodial settings, people living in disadvantaged areas and some immigrants.

The Australian Government has also recently funded three projects which look at smoking and mental health issues. These include:

• a three year randomised controlled trial of an intervention for tobacco dependence among those with psychotic illness;
• multi component risk factor intervention for people with severe mental illness; and
• a study program looking at cost-effective smoking cessation interventions for clients with mental illness.

6. More focused research and evaluation - including research, evaluation, monitoring and surveillance, particularly measures that:

• assesses needs;
• identifies promising approaches; and
• assesses efficacy and cost effectiveness of programs and policies and the extent to which these are achieved.

The three studies being undertaken in relation to Mental Health and Smoking (Tailoring for disadvantaged groups) all aim to identify appropriate smoking interventions for this target group as well as measure the cost effectiveness of particular interventions.

In 2005, the Australian Government commissioned Eureka Strategic Research to undertake an analytical literature review and qualitative-based research, on youth smoking behaviours and attitudes.

The researchers were asked to look at basic behavioural research to assist the Government better understand the processes of tobacco uptake, addiction and cessation among young people. A final report will be available on the Departments National Drug Strategy website shortly.