Tobacco facing ‘worst nightmare’ in Australia

There is an expectation that a drop to a record low in the rate of smoking among young Australians could be the early signs of a smoke-free generation, according to a story by Courtney Wilson for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Figures from a new report are said to show that in the past 20 years there has been a fall of more than 70 percent in the number of adolescents smoking.

“Twenty years ago we had smoking amongst 12- to 17-year-olds sitting at about 23.5 percent and we’re now as low as 6.7 percent,” said Anita Dessaix of the Cancer Institute of New South Wales, one of the authors of the new report published in the journal Public Health Research & Practice.

“There’s some key policy items that stand out,” she said. “We know that increasing the price of cigarettes is extremely effective, and continued and sustained investment in public education campaigns have been quite effective.”

Other factors were said to include standardized packaging, the expansion of smoke-free areas, and the monitoring of bans on the sale of cigarettes to minors.

“About 20 years ago, the average age of initiation was about 14 years, but we have seen an increase to about 16 years of age,” Dessaix said

Meanwhile, the National Heart Foundation’s tobacco control spokesperson Maurice Swanson agreed that the findings were significant. “It’s the world’s worst nightmare for the tobacco industry; it’s like a recession,” he said.