Laura Smyth (La Trobe, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am very pleased to participate in this debate. I commend, in his absence, the member for Hindmarsh on bringing this motion before the chamber today to commemorate the efforts that have gone into World No Tobacco Day since its establishment in 1987 by the World Health Organisation. We here are all very much aware of the negative consequences of tobacco smoking both for our own population and for populations around the world. But I think, given that this is a particular day that has been instigated by the WHO, it is important to reflect on some of its findings in relation to the prevalence of tobacco use around the globe.

I would like to refer to a study by the WHO that is part of a publication titled Systematic review of the link between tobacco and poverty. It caught my attention. Inherently one knows that tobacco use is very prevalent in some of the most impoverished countries around the world, but it is really worth reading parts of this report to get an accurate reflection of just how significant it is for population health in countries which are already suffering significant public health concerns.

The report finds that 82 per cent of the world's smokers live in low- and middle-income level countries. That is quite an extraordinary figure. But it is all the more troubling when one looks at a couple of the countries that the report considers—for instance, Bangladesh and Vietnam. It finds that in Bangladesh the poorest households, with household income of less than $24 a month, were twice as likely to smoke as the wealthiest households. The report finds:

Average male cigarette smokers spent more than twice as much on cigarettes as per capita expenditure on clothing, housing, health and education combined. A typical poor smoker could easily add over 500 calories to the diet of one or two children using his or her daily tobacco expenditure, and therefore the lives of 350 children could be saved daily.

That is an extraordinary finding from the WHO. It is timely to remember those kinds of statistics in this debate before the House today about World No Tobacco Day.

The other country that the WHO made mention of in the report that I have discussed was Vietnam, where the report found:

Low income level households' tobacco spending was equal to 1.5 times their educational spending and was similar to health care spending.

Once again, these are extraordinary figures worth considering in the context of the efforts being made by this parliament and state and territory parliaments right around the country to combat the effects of tobacco smoking and to combat tobacco smoking being taken up, particularly by some of our youngest members of society.

We know for instance that in Australia the Cancer Council has estimated that smoking claims the lives of around 15,500 Australians each year and costs our economy around $31½ billion. I have often reflected on that in the context of my own electorate of La Trobe and the number of people who are represented within it. I estimate that it would equate to about 16 per cent of the electors in my seat being affected by tobacco if it were confined to the electorate of La Trobe. That is an extraordinary number of people—people with families, people with dependants—whose lives are detrimentally affected by the use of tobacco right around our country.

It is important also to reflect in the debate on this motion about World No Tobacco Day on the very significant reforms that have been put in place by this government in conjunction with state and territory colleagues around the country. We know that the targets set under the COAG National Healthcare Agreement of reducing smoking rates by 10 per cent by 2018 and halving the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander smoking rate by that time require significant efforts by us all. It is for that reason that this government has introduced a requirement that cigarettes be sold in plain packaging and it is steadfast in pursuing that reform. It is restricting internet advertising of tobacco products and it has committed record funding to targeted antismoking campaigns aimed at cutting smoking in high-risk and disadvantaged groups.

We have the opportunity in this country to make significant inroads to reduce the number of people taking up smoking and the number of people currently smoking. It is important that we reflect on worldwide efforts through this resolution and by other means.

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