Health promotion strategies bulletin

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Overview

Editorial - tobacco reforms

Welcome to the first issue of Health Promotion Strategies for 2008.

Tobacco smoking is the largest preventable cause of death,disease, illness and disability in Victoria and is known to increase the risk of lung cancer, cardiovascular disease, chronic pulmonary disease and many other illnesses. Environmental tobacco smoke also affects the health of many n
on-smokers, including more than a third of Australian children (Australian Bureau of Statistics). As recently as 1998, smoking caused 4,750 deaths in Victoria, that is 90 deaths per week. In the same year alcohol, illicit drugs and road related deaths combined totalled 1,508. The comparison is startling.

Unsurprisingly, the financial costs of this toll are significant. Smoking costs Victorians slightly more than $5 billion a year, including almost $190 million to the Victorian health system (Collins and Lapsley, 2006). A conservative method of estimation has determined that Victoria would benefit by $2,034 million over a 20-year period from a five per cent reduction in smoking rates. This represents $10,291 for each person prevented from smoking by anti-smoking interventions (Collins and Lapsley, 2006).

The Victorian Government has been a world leader in mitigating the costs imposed upon individuals, families and society by tobacco smoking. In the 20 years since the introduction of the Victorian Government Tobacco Act 1987, adult smoking rates in Victoria have dropped from 30 per cent in 1987 to 17 per cent in 2003. This and other successes are the result of a continued drive by many dedicated individuals and organisations to eradicate the negative consequences of tobacco.

In recent years, new laws outlined in detail elsewhere in this bulletin have been pivotal to the Government’s commitment to further reduce tobacco use and exposure to passive smoke.

The success of the Quit campaign and of tougher legislation on tobacco products have seen a marked decline in smoking rates, but there is still more to be done if we’re to continue this downward trend.

Current Issue

Health Promotion Strategies Volume 8, Number 1, February 2008 (kb, pdf)

Contents

• Editorial - tobacco reforms
• Promoting perennial health solutions
• City of Whittlesea broadens Tobacco Strategy
• Victorian Tobacco Control Strategy of 2008-2013
• Quit relaunches the sponge campaign
• Nurses help parents to quit smoking
• Fromt he mouths of quitters - what helps them quit
• Eastern Health - Tackling Tobacco Addiction
• Extra funding supports Quitline response
• A new direction for smoking cessation
• Totally Smoke Free at Barwon Health

Health promotion strategies bulletin - back issues

Contact information

'Health Promotion Strategies' is a quarterly publication of the Chronic Disease Prevention Unit within Public Health Branch of the Rural and Regional Health and Aged Care Services Division, Department of Human Services.

The address for editorial matters, requests for copies of Health Promotion Strategies, contributions to, or advice on calendar events or new publications is:

Health Promotion Unit: Spiro Iliopoulos
50 Lonsdale Street
Melbourne Victoria 3000
Enquiries: Tel (61 3) 9096 5753

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