Health experts are calling on the Government to take action on a range of tobacco-related diseases, including tobacco farm deaths, to protect the public health.
The Department of Health is also planning to introduce a new national tobacco control strategy.
The department says the tobacco control plan will be launched this week.
“The plan will look at all the different types of tobacco we have to work with and what we need to do to reduce the use of tobacco and to minimise its impact on the community,” Dr Mark Williams, director of public health at the department, said.
Dr Williams said tobacco use was one of the biggest health risks and he believed a reduction in tobacco use would reduce deaths from tobacco-caused diseases.
He said while the Government’s new national strategy focused on tobacco farm safety and management, he was also hoping it would also look at the tobacco industry, including the ability to increase supply.
“We have to keep this industry healthy and to keep it competitive in terms of cost and cost-effectiveness,” Dr Williams told news.com,au.
“If we can do that, that would be good for the country.”
Dr Williams also said he believed that the health impacts of tobacco were similar to other tobacco-based products, such as chewing tobacco.
He told news,au that he had spoken to a number of people who said they felt that they were better off smoking tobacco, but they were reluctant to stop.
“I think there is a lot of pressure on the tobacco producers to do something about the problems with tobacco.
There is a real reluctance to say, ‘Well, we can’t do that’.”
There is a feeling of complacency, I think there are a lot more people who are reluctant to take on that challenge.
In December, a survey by the World Health Organization found that tobacco was responsible for about one-third of deaths worldwide and that smoking had a negative impact on life expectancy. “
It’s a complex subject, it’s a complicated industry and I think it’s really important for the Government, for the public, for people to understand that,” he said.
In December, a survey by the World Health Organization found that tobacco was responsible for about one-third of deaths worldwide and that smoking had a negative impact on life expectancy.
Dr Simon Wainwright, chief executive of the Australian Medical Association, said the Government needed to get on with tackling tobacco-specific disease prevention measures.
“Tobacco has a long history in Australia, we know that for a long time,” he told newsroom.
“And it’s something that has had a long association with the tobacco lobby.”
We need to get this right, we need an industry-wide approach to tobacco control, not just in Australia but around the world.
He added that there was a strong need to address the tobacco farm issue, which he said was a problem in the state. “
As well as the national tobacco plan, we should look at a national program to encourage the uptake of tobacco cessation products and the prevention of tobacco use and to work through this national strategy with industry,” Dr Wainwood said.
He added that there was a strong need to address the tobacco farm issue, which he said was a problem in the state.
“So, I don’t think the tobacco farming issue is a priority at the moment, I can’t see it being a priority in the near future,” he added.