‘4,000 Chemicals’: $5M Anti-Smoking Campaign

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PDF printable version of Release of ‘4,000 Chemicals': $5M Anti-Smoking Campaign (PDF 17 KB)

27 February 2010

Today marks the fifth anniversary of the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. It was the first treaty negotiated under the WHO, and has since become one of the UN’s most adopted Conventions.

Coming into force on 27th February 2005, the Convention requires signatories to use regulatory measures to tackle the marketing, supply and demand of tobacco.

The Rudd Government is determined to reduce the scourge of tobacco use in Australia and is committed to this important Convention.

To this end, I am pleased to announce that advertising begins tomorrow in the latest wave of anti-smoking campaigns – with the message, ‘When you smoke you inhale over 4,000 chemicals’.

The campaign will run for the next 13 weeks on television, cinema, outdoor, digital and radio media. It encourages Australians to consider the chemicals they potentially inhale every time they smoke and the long-term damage to their health.

The $5 million stage of the renewed tobacco campaign will continue building awareness of the health damage caused by smoking. It encourages people to quit, or avoid smoking in the future.

While smoking prevalence in Australia has declined over time, rates of daily smoking remain too high at 16.6 per cent of those aged 14 or older. The 2010 stage of the National Tobacco Campaign will reach a broad age-range, but focuses on young adults.

Tobacco smoke contains more than 4,000 chemical compounds including tar, carbon monoxide, nicotine, hydrogen cyanide, acetone, ammonia, arsenic, phenol, naphthalene, cadmium and polyvinyl chloride. At least 43 of these can cause cancer. Many are toxic.

The Rudd Government knows the social, health and community cost of the use of tobacco is significant, and is investing a record $872 million into preventative health programs - including those to minimise harm from tobacco.

The Government has also started work on the Commonwealth's next major anti-smoking campaign, which was funded with $61 million from the Preventative Health National Partnership. This will be run by the Preventive Health Agency, but given its delay in the Senate an expert panel has been appointed to begin providing advice how to craft this campaign for greatest health effect.

For all media inquiries, please contact the Minister's Office on 02 6277 7220

All materials include the Quitline phone number (131 848) and the quitnow website address. The website www.australia.gov.au/quitnow has been refreshed to coincide with the launch. The Quitline is staffed by professional counsellors who can provide help and advice to smokers who wish to quit.