Steve Georganas (Hindmarsh, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today, 31 May, is World No Tobacco Day. It is a day when we promote no smoking. I felt very strongly about speaking about this topic as I have now been a reformed smoker for approximately 22 months, and going strong. How long it will last I do not know. It is approximately my third attempt to stop smoking, but one of the best attempts I have made thus far.

We all know the dangers of smoking. We all know the impact of smoking on Australia’s health. We know of the many deaths, heart attacks and strokes per year that are caused through smoking, and of the other consequences of this bad, bad habit. Most people will expect the consequences to be bad, but some of the observations are that over 19,000 Australians each year die as a result of tobacco. That is one in seven adults—more than the combined death toll from road accidents, alcohol, illicit drugs, homicide, HIV, diabetes, breast and skin cancer and more. Tobacco smoking is the biggest single preventable cause of both cancer and heart disease, causing 21 per cent of all cancer deaths and 13 per cent of all new cases of cancer. It is our No. 1 drug problem, responsible for 80 per cent of all drug related deaths and two-thirds of all drug related costs to the community.

There have been many attempts at curtailing advertising, and they have been fairly successful. But last night I was shocked at a program I was watching on SBS which showed the marketing tactics that tobacco companies use. They market directly to young adults, because they know that if they can addict you at a young age they have you for life. As there are many people, like me, who realise the dangers of smoking and give up, they need a new market. Those new markets are our young people and those in the Third World. One of the most successful tactics that they have used, as advertising has been curtailed, is to promote smoking in movies. I was shocked to hear last night that Sylvester Stallone was paid $500,000 to use a particular brand in a movie no fewer than three times in that movie. That was separate from his contract in the movie. From the seventies through to today, the average number of youth taking up smoking has increased. That has been correlated with the number of scenes in movies where movie stars are using cigarettes, which has been on the increase in that same period.

It is a terrible habit. As I said, I have been addicted for many years to the demon drug tobacco. It has been 22 months since I have given up. The love of my family was the reason that I gave up: I want to see my children grow up, I want to see grandchildren and I want to enjoy the future with my family. If I had one message for everyone who does smoke—and I know that some of the honourable members opposite do partake in the habit of the intake of tobacco—it would be to urge them to consider it carefully and to give up. (Time expired)