Internet Tobacco Advertising to Face New Tough Restrictions
Prohibiting retailers from peddling cigarettes as ‘cheap’ or ‘tax-free’ on the internet is the latest step in the Australian Government’s hard hitting and comprehensive action to reduce Australia’s smoking rates.
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17 November 2010
Prohibiting retailers from peddling cigarettes as ‘cheap’ or ‘tax-free’ on the internet is the latest step in the Gillard Government’s hard hitting and comprehensive action to reduce Australia’s smoking rates.
The Tobacco Advertising Prohibition Amendment Bill 2010 will be introduced into the Parliament today and the Minister for Health and Ageing, Nicola Roxon said this legislation will bring restrictions on tobacco advertising on the internet into line with restrictions in other media and at physical points of sale.
“Tobacco use is Australia’s single largest cause of premature death and disease, killing 15,000 Australians a year and costing our economy $31.5 billion.”
“Our internet tobacco legislation will mean that online sales, advertising and promotion of tobacco will now be subject to the same kind of restrictions that are placed on over the counter sales.”
“This is an important step in reaching the benchmarks set under the COAG National Healthcare Agreement of reducing smoking rates to 10 per cent by 2018 and halving the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander smoking rate.”
“Together with our efforts to mandate the plain packaging of tobacco products from 2012, Australia is on track to have the world’s toughest measures against tobacco.”
The main impact of the Tobacco Advertising Prohibition Amendment Bill 2010 will be on retailers who advertise their products without the required health warnings and as being ‘tax free’.
Retailers, including the major supermarket chains and specialist tobacco and cigar retailers, will be consulted on a draft of the regulations once developed.
The maximum penalty for each offence will be $13,200.
For all media inquiries, please contact the Minister's Office on 0409 945 476
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