Government Strategies and Legislation

Public

Legislation

National, State, Territory and Local Governments together with Tobacco Control Organisations throughout Australia are continually working on new ways to target smoking. Australia has some of the strongest and most innovative legislation and tobacco control measures in the world. Some of these include:

The banning of smoking inside any public building or workplace
The banning of smoking in a car carrying children
Restrictions on smoking in some open spaces (some states)
Strict banns on the display and advertising of tobacco products
Graphic health warning messages on packaging
Heavy taxation of tobacco products
Inclusion of subsidised nicotine replacement therapies (NRT) on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme
Comprehensive tobacco control advertising campaigns in all forms of media
Government and non-government organisations funded to carry out tobacco control activities and research


	Plain Packaging By 1 July 2012 the Australia will be the first country in the world to implement legislation that will require all cigarettes sold to be in plain packaging. That is packets must only contain the brand name in plain text on a drab green background and health warning messages to take up between 30-75% of the pack front. To read more about plain packaging go to ASH Australia fact sheet

Strategies

Commonwealth, States and Territories Tackling Indigenous Smoking Initiative

Commonwealth and State Heads of Government Agreement (COAG) on Closing the Gap in Indigenous Health has identified that smoking is a key health issue. Under the agreement $106 million will be spent between 2010 and 2013 on tackling Indigenous smoking throught a rang of measures including a significant workforce of community based Tobacco Action workers. A further $60 million dollars is being spent on a healthy lifestyle social marketing campaign aimed at Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. This campaign includes tobacco control messages delivered locally, regionally and nationally.

National action to reduce Indigenous smoking rates website

National Tobacco Strategy

The National Tobacco Strategy 2004-2009 is a policy framework for the Australian, state and territory governments to work together and in collaboration with non-government agencies to reduce the social costs caused by tobacco. A new National Tobacco Strategy is expectedscheduled for implemented in 2011.

Go to the National Tobacco Strategy website to download a copy of the document

National Drug Strategy: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples Complementary Action Plan 2003-2006

The aim of the National Drug Strategy 2010-2015 is to build safe and healthy communities by minimising alcohol, tobacco and other drug-related health, social and economic harms among individuals, families and communities.

The national plans apply to Australians generally and as such do not always relate well to the drugs issues that affect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples Complementary Action Plan 2003-2009 has been researched, written and evaluated to complement the issues raised in these national plans and make them more applicable to Indigenous peoples.

Within this complementary action plan, tobacco is recognised as a major factor contributing to the ill-health of Indigenous peoples. It recommends the following:

Enhanced capacity of individuals, families and communities to address issues of tobacco use and promote their own health and well-being.
Whole of government and non-government to implement, evaluate and improve comprehensive approaches to reduce drug-related harm.
Substantially improved access to the appropriate range of health and wellbeing services that play a role in addressing alcohol, tobacco and other drugs issues.
A range of holistic approaches, from prevention through to treatment and continuing care, that is locally available and accessible.
Workforce initiatives to enhance the capacity of community-controlled and mainstream organisations to provide quality services.
Increased ownership and sustainable partnerships of research, monitoring, evaluation and dissemination of information.

State and Territory Government Strategies

Some State Governments have developed their own Tobacco Action Plan for implementing key recommendations of the National Tobacco Strategy. Each state and territory has it’s own set of laws governing the use, sale and promotion of tobacco so it is important to find out what the laws are in your state.

Download copies of the plans here:

Local Government Strategies

In addition to National and State legislation, some local councils have introduced local by-laws that prohibit smoking in some public outdoor spaces such as shopping precincts, parks and beaches. To find out more about what the restrictions are in your local area contact the by-laws officer at the council office.

Also in this section:

Home | Contact Us

Search