AMA Calls on Government to Commit to Tobacco Reform

AMA Victoria is calling on major political parties to put tobacco reform back on the agenda and in election campaigns. 
AMA Victoria president Dr Tony Bartone says neither Liberal or Labor has made an election commitment to reduce smoking rates in Victoria.
“Neither party has made an election commitment to dedicate funding towards quit measures. “There is no set date of when smoking in outdoor dining areas will be banned or what the legislation will entail, including if Crown Casino-like smoking exemptions will be granted," Dr Bartone says
“Both parties are committing to the Heart Hospital which is all well and good, but prevention must not be forgotten. Smoking is a major cause of heart attack, stroke and peripheral arterial disease. Nearly 40% of tobacco-related deaths are due to heart and blood vessel disease.
“It seems that neither party has tobacco reform as a public health priority in their election campaign. This is disgraceful. “We want the health system to work smarter – and health prevention and promotion, which encompasses tobacco reform, has been forgotten by both the Victorian Liberal and Labor parties,” Dr Bartone said.
AMA Victoria’s 2014 Election Manifesto called for two specific tobacco reforms:
1)     Introduce a state-wide smoking ban in all outdoor dining areas.
2)     Implement a state wide licensing scheme for the sale of tobacco products.
We recommend a licensing system for tobacco retailers similar to the ones in place in NSW,WA, SA, NT and TAS. Identifying what areas have the highest number of tobacco retailers would be beneficial for targeted quit campaigns.