Release Date: Thursday 10 April,
2003
CALL FOR UNDER
COUNTER SALES FOR CIGARETTES. NEW HEALTH
WARNINGS
A leading Australian public health expert has
called for cigarettes to be removed from display
in shops and sold 'under the counter', as an
important measure to prevent children from starting
smoking.
Speaking at the 2nd Australian Tobacco Control
Conference in Melbourne today, Professor David
Hill, Director of The Cancer Council Victoria,
said ensuring cigarettes were out of view and
under the counter was an important next step
to address youth smoking.
"Under the counter sales weakens the cigarette
packet as a marketing tool, and therefore reduces
environmental prompts to smoke," Professor
Hill said.
"This is something that must be considered
if governments and the community are serious
about addressing youth smoking rates in Australia," Professor
Hill said.
In his keynote address to over 370 conference
delegates, Professor Hill also urged legislators
to give serious consideration to updating health
warnings on cigarette packs.
"Health warnings on cigarette packets are
an important way to communicate with smokers,
and can help them both cut down the amount they
smoke or quit altogether."
"The current health warnings on cigarette
packets were introduced in 1995, and are now
out of step with current understandings of the
health
effects of smoking."
"It's important that smokers have up-to-date
information, and it's important that we have
the capacity to add new warnings as new information
emerges."
"Changing the warnings once a decade is
just not sufficient."
Professor Hill said requiring cigarette manufacturers
to introduce plain packaging was also a necessary
regulatory step to reduce the impact of cigarette
promotion.
-ends-
For media enquiries about the conference with any of the speakers,
please contact Zoe Furman on (03) 9635 5517 mobile
0408
176 934 email zoe.furman@cancervic.org.au
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