A new report out today once again confirms that Labor’s world leading plain packaging laws are working. The National Drugs Strategy Household Survey shows the daily smoking rate plummeted from 15.1 per cent to 12.8 per cent during a three year period from 2010-2013.
These figures illustrate that plain packaging laws are reducing the smoking rate across Australia and smash the tobacco industry’s claims that the laws have boosted cigarette sales.
Smoking in Australia kills 15,000 people each year, and costs the economy $31.5 billion dollars.
That is why Labor introduced world-leading plain packaging reform.
Other nations are following Australia’s lead, with the UK, Ireland, and New Zealand all having legislation to introduce plain packaging laws before their parliaments.
Meanwhile the Abbott government has cut almost $3 million in funding from the National Tobacco Strategy and Australia’s most ineffective Health Minister has not once articulated his support for plain packaging.
Plain packaging and graphic health warnings are working. Fewer people are buying fewer cigarettes.
The Coalition did not support plain packaging when they were in opposition and have failed to stand up for it as they go about gutting Australia’s health system.