Smoking

Smoking is a leading risk factor for chronic disease and death, including many types of cancer, respiratory disease and heart disease. Exposure to tobacco smoke (second-hand smoking) also causes numerous health conditions among adults and children, and smoking (first or second hand) during pregnancy can affect the health of both mother and baby [3, 4].

Strategies to minimise the harm caused by tobacco smoking have been in place for decades. These have included advertising bans; bans on smoking indoors and increasingly in outdoor public spaces; plain packaging; price increases, restrictions on sales to minors, publication, and media campaigns [1, 2].

The National Tobacco Strategy 2012–2018, sets out a national framework to reduce tobacco-related harm in Australia. Its goal is 'to improve the health of all Australians by reducing the prevalence of smoking and its associated health, social and economic costs, and the inequalities it causes' [1].

Tobacco control is also a key component of the Australian Government’s 10-year National Preventive Health Strategy, which outlines the following tobacco use targets:

• reduce daily smoking rates to below 10 per cent by 2025 and 5 per cent or less for adults (≥18 years) by 2030; and
• reduce the daily smoking rate among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (≥15 years) to 27 per cent or less by 2030.

The National Preventive Health Strategy includes a range of policy achievements that aim to reduce tobacco use and nicotine addiction. The four overarching aims of the National Preventive Health Strategy are:

1. All Australians have the best start in life
2. All Australians live in good health and wellbeing for as long as possible
3. Health equity is achieved for priority populations
4. Investment in prevention is increased

The National Tobacco Strategy, which is currently being updated, complements the actions and targets in the National Preventive Health Strategy. The National Tobacco Strategy aims to improve the health of all Australians by reducing tobacco use.

The existing National Tobacco Strategy 2012–2018 remains valid until the next iteration is finalised [5].

Australia has been successful in reducing smoking prevalence over many years through the use of such strategies. Fewer people are smoking daily and more people have never smoked compared with 20 years ago.

References

1. IGCD (Intergovernmental Committee on Drugs) 2013. National Tobacco Strategy 2012–2018.
   Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia.
2. MCDS (Ministerial Council on Drug Strategy) 2011. National Drug Strategy 2010–2015: a framework for action on alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. Canberra: Department of Health and Ageing.
3. State Government of Victoria (SGV) 2014. Pregnancy and smoking. Viewed 15 May 2015.
4. USDHHS (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) 2014. The health consequences of smoking—50 years of progress: a report of the Surgeon General . Atlanta: USDHHS, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health. Viewed 10 May 2016.
5. Department of Health 2021. National Preventive Health Strategy 2021-2030. Department of Health website, viewed 4 August 2022.