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Doctors welcome end to tobacco displays
22 December 2008
AMA Victoria welcomes the State Government’s announcement today to ban retail tobacco display and point of sale advertising as part of its Tobacco Control Strategy. Other welcome measures include banning smoking in cars with children, banning sales at temporary outlets and targeted health promotion strategies.
AMA Victoria President Dr Doug Travis praised the measures as an important step in further reducing smoking rates among Victorians.
“Be in no doubt — smoking kills. The only benefits of smoking are addiction, disease and death.
“While 4000 people a year die from smoking related illnesses, hundreds of thousands live with disease, illness, pain and discomfort.
“Banning retail tobacco display and point of sale advertising will help current smokers quit and assist recent quitters in avoiding relapse. We also expect it to reduce tobacco use by young people.”
Victoria will be the fourth Australian jurisdiction to ban point of sale displays and promotion.
“Victoria has historically been a leader in the efforts to curb smoking,” Dr Travis said. “The Government’s new Tobacco Control Strategy backs up the government’s rhetoric with strong, decisive action.”
Dr Travis said that he looked forward to continuing to work with the Government, QUIT Victoria and others to reduce smoking, through implementing the new strategies and enforcing the laws restricting tobacco retailing.
“Smoking is the largest preventable cause of death and disease in Australia,” Dr Travis said. “In order to reduce the disease, disability and premature death caused by smoking, we need to reduce the number of individuals who smoke. The new Strategy is a welcome and important step towards that goal.”
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