Victoria comes in third on National Tobacco Control Scoreboard
19 Aug 2005
The Cancer Council Victoria, VicHeath, The National Heart Foundation of Australia (Victorian Division) and Quit have welcomed news of Victoria's third placing on the National Tobacco Scoreboard, released annually by the Australian Medical Association and the Australian Council on Smoking and Health.
The groups said the State Government has made a lot of progress in the recent years in relation to tobacco control and can be proud of its efforts to reduce the devastating toll of smoking on our local community.
Victoria's Parliament unanimously passed legislation earlier this month that, along with ensuring workplaces, bars and clubs become smokefree within the next two years, also sees a ban on tobacco industry buzz marketing.
""Victoria’s should be congratulated on the tough stance it has taken on the marketing of tobacco. There is no doubt that both the ban on buzz marketing and an end to on smoking at underage dance and music events means younger people will be less vulnerable to the cunning marketing tactics of the tobacco industry.""
The groups said Victoria should aim to improve its current standing, and reduce smoking levels further.
""The next two years are vital in the tobacco control field, with the new graphic pack warnings and the implementation of smokefree laws offering a great opportunity to get smoking rates lower than ever in Victoria.
“If we make the best of this fantastic opportunity by investing in mass media campaigns to encourage people to quit smoking and banning tobacco displays at point of sale there is no reason why Victoria can’t see smoking levels decline even further.""
Ends
Edwina Vellar,
Media Manager
ph: (03) 9635 5400
mob: 0417 303 811
email: Edwina.Vellar@cancervic.org.au