$5 Million Boost to Quitline
The Minister for Health and Ageing, Nicola Roxon used World No Tobacco Day to announce that the Australian Government will provide $5 million to help support Quitline services around Australia.
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31 May 2010
The Minister for Health and Ageing, Nicola Roxon today used World No Tobacco Day to announce that the Rudd Government will provide $5 million to help support Quitline services around Australia.
This funding is in addition to the Government’s comprehensive package of anti-smoking measures, including a 25 per cent increase in tobacco excise, the world’s first plain packaging regime and additional funding for anti-smoking social marketing.
The Government’s modelling is that the excise increase alone will result in approximately 87,000 Australians quitting smoking.
Since the release of these tough tobacco measures there has been an increased demand for Quitline services – including reports that calls to the Quitline have doubled.
Demand has also increased due to the Government’s anti-smoking campaign running since February. The next advertisements from this hard hitting campaign will start before the end of this year.
Funding for Quitline will help support increased demand for services. Increased support for Quitline was a recommendation of the National Preventative Health Taskforce.
The $5 million in one-off funding will be made available to:
- address one-off costs from this period of high demand for their services – including increased hours of access where appropriate;
- develop and deliver counsellor training, including specific training to help high-risk and highly disadvantage groups quit;
- develop new and online quit support resources; and
- improve quality and national consistency across Quitline services.
Quitline provide an invaluable service to people who are trying to quit smoking. Quitline provides telephone information and advice or counselling service for people who want to quit smoking.
Smokers can phone the Quitline confidentially on 131 848 from anywhere in Australia for the cost of a local call only.
Quitline can provide smokers with evidence on:
- the best way for you to quit;
- coping with withdrawal symptoms; and
- Quit courses and details of local organisations which provide individual help and counselling.
For Media inquiries call Minister Roxon’s office on 02 6277 7220
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