Tobacco control timeline

1971

The Director of the Cancer Council, Dr Nigel Gray, produced more than 20 television commercials. They were done very cheaply and starred an acquaintance of Dr Gray's actor Warren Mitchell. They were 30 seconds long, black and white and most had a funny twist. Actors Fred Parslowe, Miriam Karlin and Sir Macfarlane Burnet also featured in television advertisements on lung cancer and teenage smoking.

1972

The phase-out of cigarette advertising on radio and television began in Australia.

1973

The first health warning on cigarette packets was introduced in Australia 'Smoking is a health hazard'.

1975

Smoking was banned on Victorian metropolitan buses.

1976

Advertising of tobacco was banned on radio and television in Australia.

1985

• Quit was established in Victoria.
• Quit's first advertising campaign featured the now famous 'Sponge' television commercial, plus 'Heart' and 'I Quit'.
• A three-minute message from Daryl Somers featured on the Quitline. In three months there were approximately 80,000 calls.
• Resources such as the 5-Day Quit Book and What Parents Can Do about their Children Smoking were produced.
• The cigarette packet warning was replaced by four rotating warnings.
• Post-campaign research included the 1985 household surveys, which was the first of many giving us vital information about smokers' awareness, knowledge and intention to quit.

1986

• After research showing that few smokers knew about emphysema and that stress and weight gain were barriers to quitting, the 'Stairs' and 'Mirrors' adverts were produced.
• Our non-English speaking and women's programs began. A high percentage of schools were using the Be Smart Don't Start manuals.
• Phasing out of smoking in federal workplaces began.

1987

• Data was released on the number of smoking-related deaths in every local government area across the state.
• Quit's sponsorship of the Fitzroy Football Club was announced. With the introduction of new cigarette packet health warnings, we ran the 'Coroner' television commercial to raise awareness of the new warnings and put more pressure on the industry.
• The Victorian Tobacco Act was passed, phasing out cinema and outdoor advertising, outlawing the sale of 'kiddie packs' of 15 cigarettes, increasing penalties on sales to children and directly using tobacco tax revenue in the establishment of VicHealth.

1988

Quit's budget tripled. As the only health agency with any experience with sponsorship, the new VicHealth leant heavily on Quit to take on sponsorships. These included basketball, hockey, netball, football, surfing and tennis. During this year we produced 11 television commercials.

1989

• We continued to streamline the management and administration of our 10 sponsorships. Our involvement with the Fitzroy Football Club and Victorian Football League gave the Quit   message legitimacy and popularity in the eyes of the Melbourne community.
• The Federal Government banned smoking on domestic airlines.
• Under various provisions of the Tobacco Act 1987, tobacco advertising was also removed from taxis, delivery vehicles and billboards.

1990

• At the beginning of this year, not one cigarette advertisement was to be seen on the outside of milk bars and convenience stores.
• The Federal Government banned all tobacco advertising in the print media in Australia

1991

• The Federal Court found that passive smoking causes lung cancer, asthma attacks and respiratory disease in young children.
• By the end of 1991 only a handful of Victorian sports continued to advertise cigarettes. Prominent Quit signs adorned the scoreboards and ground perimeters at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and at Waverley, Princes and Olympic Parks.

1992

• The Federal Government announced its intention to end all remaining forms of outdoor tobacco advertising and other promotions. The legislation was supported by all the major parties.
• The ministers for health introduced labelling regulations requiring cigarette manufacturers to clearly spell out the health implications of tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide and explain fully the health risks associated with smoking.
• The state tobacco licence fee was increased to 75% of the wholesale value of tobacco sold.
• Liesel Scholem was awarded $85,000 in damages for exposure to tobacco smoke in the course of her work with the NSW Department of Health.
• Quit Victoria activated the Quitline 131 848 telephone number.

1993

• Cigarette promotion was phased out progressively under the Tobacco Act of 1987. Point-of-sale displays were one of the few remaining forms of tobacco advertising.
• Between 1987 and 1993 VicHealth persuaded virtually every Victorian sporting organisation previously in receipt of tobacco funding to accept alternative sponsorship, and to promote Quit and other health messages.
• The Federal Government announced an increase in excise duty, to be phased in over the next two years, which would result in an 18% increase in cigarette prices.
• The transdermal nicotine patch became available for sale in Australia.
• The Tobacco Act (Amendment) 1993 came into effect, increasing the age for sale of cigarettes in Victoria from 16 to 18 years. Quit worked with the Department of Health and Community Services, the Business Franchise Office and the Liquor Licensing Commission to ensure that tobacco retailers across the state were aware of best practices to support the law.

1994

• There were continual claims from the United States that the tobacco industry knew, as early as the 1960s, about the addictive properties of nicotine. Quit took advantage of these revelations, using an advertisement featuring ex Lucky Strike model Janet Sackman.
• Significant gains were made in encouraging smokers to quit and a growing number of politicians seemed prepared to legislate to control the promotion of tobacco products.
• However, smoking among young people wasn't declining. There were worrying signs that smoking was re-emerging as a way to show rejection of authority and 'political correctness'.
• Concerns about economic security and campaigns such as those for road safety were dominating people's consciousness. The Transport Accident Commission media campaign was out-spending Quit by almost 20 to 1.
• The ACT introduced the first smokefree public places legislation in Australia

1995

• Dr Victor De Noble launched Quit Week and talked about his experiences as a behavioural research scientist for Philip Morris. He claimed that Philip Morris had for many years been aware of the addictive properties of nicotine and had suppressed research and discussion of this issue within the scientific community.
• New black on white warnings with a description on the back of the pack appeared on tobacco packs.
• Remaining tobacco sponsorship was removed, except for events of international significance.

1996

• The new Commonwealth Minister for Health and Aged Care convened the Ministerial Tobacco Advisory Group, and asked them to develop a major national campaign aimed at reducing smoking in Australia.
• Other states and territories agree to use the 131 848 telephone number and the national Quitline began.
• Quit Victoria introduced a call-back service on its Quitline.

1997

• A two-year sponsorship of North Melbourne (Kangaroos) AFL Football team started.
• The National Tobacco Campaign launched a series of television commercials, Every Cigarette is Doing You Damage - Lung, Tumour and Artery. These ads generated a significant increase in quitting intentions and doubled calls to the Quitline.
• Tobacco franchise fees were declared invalid by the High Court.
• Quit changed from having a Quit Week to focusing on World No Tobacco Day. (There were so many special 'weeks' during the year that it was becoming impossible to compete, and media interest in 'weeks' was diminishing.)

1998

• The National Tobacco Campaign produced and launched another two television commercials: Stroke and Call for Help.
• The Melbourne Cricket Ground went completely smokefree.

1999

• VicHealth renewed the sponsorship of the Kangaroos Football Club, with a new three-year contract.
• The Commonwealth implemented tax by stick rather than by weight, increasing the price of large packets in particular.

2000

• The National Tobacco Campaign produced and launched the final of the Every Cigarette is Doing You Damage series of television commercials - Tar, Lung and Eye.
• The Victorian Magistrates Court awarded Victorian woman Andrea Bowles more than $7000 in damages for a severe asthma attack caused by exposure to cigarette smoke while she was seated in the non-smoking section of a Melbourne restaurant.

2001

• Quit Victoria and Quit SA produced and launched a new advertising campaign, focusing on parents, for a nationally available media campaign. This followed the successful National Tobacco Campaign and was timed to continue the momentum while providing a new direction. The new campaign shifted focus from 'what every cigarette does to you' to 'the influence your smoking has on others - especially the ones you love'.
• The Federal Government announced the phase-out of tobacco sponsorship of internationally significant events by 2006.
• With the Victorian government, we launched a campaign to encourage parents to stop smoking.
• Smokefree dining was introduced in Victoria and Tasmania. Smokefree shopping centres were introduced in Victoria.
• Legislation was introduced in Victoria to ban advertising at point of sale and reduce the number and amount of display space for tobacco packs. Mobile retailing was banned, along with gifts packaged with tobacco packs.
• Former New South Wales barmaid Marlene Sharp was awarded $466,000 in damages by a New South Wales Supreme Court jury for throat cancer caused by exposure to second-hand smoke at her workplace.

2002

• Rolah McCabe was the first Australian to successfully sue a tobacco company, British
  American Tobacco Australasia, for lung cancer caused by smoking. The defence was struck out as key documents required for the case to proceed had been shredded. Ms McCabe was awarded $700,000 in damages. This was overturned on appeal.
• Smokefree gambling was introduced in Victorian hotels and clubs. Licensed venues with more than one room must provide a smokefree alternative.
• The Federal Government announced a review of the Tobacco Advertising and Prohibition Act.
• The Federal Government began a review of health warnings and considered graphic pictorial warnings.
• Philip Morris pleaded guilty in New South Wales over breaching legislation around tobacco advertising and promotion. The company was fined $9000 over promotions at a fashion event – 'what will you be wearing next?' - under the Wavesnet branding.
• We aired a television commercial called Nice People from the Make Smoking History Campaign based at the Cancer Foundation of Western Australia.
• With state and territory tobacco control groups, we developed a mass media campaign called Cigarette Recall, adapted from the American Legacy Foundation's Truth campaign. Three television commercials featuring well-known comedian and satirist John Clarke were produced. The campaign aired in all states and territories. It used humour, and, unlike more recent advertising campaigns, aimed to stimulate community debate about the conduct and regulation of the tobacco industry.

2003

Ten television commercials were produced to refresh and broaden the appeal of the Quitline as a service for smokers.

2004

• The Federal Government announced plans to introduce picture-based warnings on tobacco products. It also ratified the global Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and was developing a new national tobacco strategy effective from mid-2004.
• The Victorian Government announced plans for all workplaces, including bars, to be smokefree. The Government also announced plans for bans on tobacco industry buzz marketing.

2005

• Victorian Parliament approves laws to ban smoking in workplaces (from 2006) and bars (2007).
• Quit in Victoria marks its 20th anniversary. Smoking rates in Victoria have approximately halved over the life of the organisation.
• The Bubble wrap / emphysema television and radio campaign is launched. The campaign is picked up by all other states and territories.
• The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission reaches agreement with the tobacco industry to stop using some misleading terms such as light mild. The ACCC requires the tobacco industry to contribute to an ACCC community information campaign on the dangers of such products.
• Former Quit Executive Director Michelle Scollo is awarded the inaugural Nigel Gray Award for Achievement in Tobacco Control.
• The landmark international treaty, the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, enters into force with Australia a party.