As we all know, smoking is incredibly harmful to our health – not just our own, but those around us as well. Second-hand smoke is just as dangerous as first-hand exposure, and it's one of the leading causes of preventable death in Australia.

That's why the Australian Government is taking steps to try and reduce smoking by half over the next ten years.

Health Minister Mark Butler revealed that the Australian Government is seriously tackling the problem, as they are looking to reduce the number of smokers by half over the next decade. He mentioned that their next step is to alter cigarettes within the packet.

‘We know that the tobacco industry has innovated by trying to make individual sticks or individual cigarettes more attractive, more marketable, in the plain packaging,’ he admitted before adding that government officials are doing their best to remove the advantage that the tobacco industry has.

Smoking is estimated to kill almost 20,500 Australians each year, according to the ABS. Credit: Irina Iriser in Pexels

The Health Minister also mentioned that their goal now is to achieve a ‘national daily smoking prevalence’ of less than 10 per cent by 2025 and then further cut that to five per cent or less by 2030.

According to the ABS, one in ten adults were current daily smokers – around 10.7 per cent of the population or 2.1 million people. In their census, they also found that adults with fair or poor health were more likely to be current daily smokers.

‘I want to see a discussion about colours that make them unattractive, about dissuasive messages on individual sticks, which the Canadian government has just indicated they‘re going to go forward with’, Mr Butler said.

He also shared that aside from discussing printing health disclaimers on packets, to changing the colour to something more unappealing, government officials also suggested that flavoured cigarettes, such as menthols, could also be on ‘the chopping block’.

Megan Varlow from the Cancer Council explained that the main goal now is to create a deterrence strategy to remind smokers of the damage they are causing.

Men are more likely to smoke daily than women, according to the ABS. Credit: Pixabay in Pexels

She said: ‘The colours that the research has looked at so far are things like a very yucky brown or a sludgy green, they‘re not the sorts of things that you want to put in your mouth.’ Ms Varlow added that they aim to couple this research with warnings people find on packs, to reinforce the harms associated with smoking.

‘So, if there’s 20 cigarettes in a packet, that’s 20 reminders of the damage that the cigarette is doing.’

The issue of vaping was also addressed, and Mr Butler said they’ll ‘crackdown’ on the advertising techniques used to target kids.

He shared: ‘Vapes that are marketed out there with pink unicorns, bubblegum flavours, fruit flavours — they are not being marketed to adults.’

He added that vapes are clearly being marketed to young children or young adults. Mr Butler mentioned that the government was keeping a close eye on New Zealand’s regulations on vaping and said that ‘nothing is off the table’ the government will continue to push against nicotine addiction.

‘I don‘t think anything is off the table, in terms of the discussions that I’m having with state ministerial colleagues.’

Key Takeaways

• The Australian government is considering new methods to reduce smoking rates by half over the next decade.
• One potential method under consideration is to alter cigarettes within the packet, for example by printing health disclaimers on individual cigarettes or changing the colour to something less appealing.
• Another possibility is to target flavoured cigarettes, such as menthols, with regulations.
• The government is also considering cracking down on advertising techniques used to target children for vaping products.

What are your thoughts on this, folks? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

 

[Zemo]

What if people smoke their coffin nails in the dark? The colour of the paper wrapped around the tobacco will undoubtedly make a huge difference to the taste and "enjoyment" of the weed within, won't it? Why not take it to the next step and make the paper glow in the dark, thus reinforcing the message?

 

[OperaticZeus]

If I could wave a magic wand I would remove all cigarettes and vapes I am only 67 years old but I am on home oxygen therapy due to having been a smoker

 

[Zemo]

If I could wave a magic wand I would remove all cigarettes and vapes I am only 67 years old but I am on home oxygen therapy due to having been a smoker

Well, I'm 83 and I started smoking at about 16, only giving it up last century for no other reason than when my favourite brand's price rose to about $1.50 a packet. They were Lucky Strikes, fairly high in the nicotine/tar content. I smoked other American brands, as well -- Camel, Kent, Chesterfield, you name it. So I could have dodged the bullet, thank the goddess.

 

[Pat T]

As we all know, smoking is incredibly harmful to our health – not just our own, but those around us as well. Second-hand smoke is just as dangerous as first-hand exposure, and it's one of the leading causes of preventable death in Australia.

That's why the Australian Government is taking steps to try and reduce smoking by half over the next ten years.

Health Minister Mark Butler revealed that the Australian Government is seriously tackling the problem, as they are looking to reduce the number of smokers by half over the next decade. He mentioned that their next step is to alter cigarettes within the packet.

‘We know that the tobacco industry has innovated by trying to make individual sticks or individual cigarettes more attractive, more marketable, in the plain packaging,’ he admitted before adding that government officials are doing their best to remove the advantage that the tobacco industry has.

View attachment 9781

Smoking is estimated to kill almost 20,500 Australians each year, according to the ABS. Credit: Irina Iriser in Pexels

The Health Minister also mentioned that their goal now is to achieve a ‘national daily smoking prevalence’ of less than 10 per cent by 2025 and then further cut that to five per cent or less by 2030.

According to the ABS, one in ten adults were current daily smokers – around 10.7 per cent of the population or 2.1 million people. In their census, they also found that adults with fair or poor health were more likely to be current daily smokers.

‘I want to see a discussion about colours that make them unattractive, about dissuasive messages on individual sticks, which the Canadian government has just indicated they‘re going to go forward with’, Mr Butler said.

He also shared that aside from discussing printing health disclaimers on packets, to changing the colour to something more unappealing, government officials also suggested that flavoured cigarettes, such as menthols, could also be on ‘the chopping block’.

Megan Varlow from the Cancer Council explained that the main goal now is to create a deterrence strategy to remind smokers of the damage they are causing.

View attachment 9782

Men are more likely to smoke daily than women, according to the ABS. Credit: Pixabay in Pexels

She said: ‘The colours that the research has looked at so far are things like a very yucky brown or a sludgy green, they‘re not the sorts of things that you want to put in your mouth.’ Ms Varlow added that they aim to couple this research with warnings people find on packs, to reinforce the harms associated with smoking.

‘So, if there’s 20 cigarettes in a packet, that’s 20 reminders of the damage that the cigarette is doing.’

The issue of vaping was also addressed, and Mr Butler said they’ll ‘crackdown’ on the advertising techniques used to target kids.

He shared: ‘Vapes that are marketed out there with pink unicorns, bubblegum flavours, fruit flavours — they are not being marketed to adults.’

He added that vapes are clearly being marketed to young children or young adults. Mr Butler mentioned that the government was keeping a close eye on New Zealand’s regulations on vaping and said that ‘nothing is off the table’ the government will continue to push against nicotine addiction.

‘I don‘t think anything is off the table, in terms of the discussions that I’m having with state ministerial colleagues.’

Key Takeaways

• The Australian government is considering new methods to reduce smoking rates by half over the next decade.
• One potential method under consideration is to alter cigarettes within the packet, for example by printing health disclaimers on individual cigarettes or changing the colour to something less appealing.
• Another possibility is to target flavoured cigarettes, such as menthols, with regulations.
• The government is also considering cracking down on advertising techniques used to target children for vaping products.

What are your thoughts on this, folks? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

I might be on my own but in some cases I believe in brain washing.Start in preschool. “ If you were meant to smoke you would have been born with a chimney.” Show videos of damage caused by smoking, mild pictures getting more graphic as the childrens ages increase.

 

[JedCorella]

I am an ex smoker and I think it is a terrible habit. The government once again is engaged in window dressing. Smoking gives them a huge tax income along with alcohol and they need that money to"balance" their budget. I agree that smoking and drinking causes all sorts of issues but the elephant in the room is never addressed. It is called gambling.
The harm it does to society is huge yet it is prolific and increasing. If the government really cared they would look at this issue more seriously but then greed over rides and concern for the people they are supposed to look after. Just look at the advertising all over the media. The hypocrisy of the leeches called government is overwhelming. They're lower than real estate agents and used car sales people. No morals and no empathy.

 

[mylittletibbies]

I absolutely agree with you.
Why aren't vapes made illegal???

 

[Bernice S]

As we all know, smoking is incredibly harmful to our health – not just our own, but those around us as well. Second-hand smoke is just as dangerous as first-hand exposure, and it's one of the leading causes of preventable death in Australia.

That's why the Australian Government is taking steps to try and reduce smoking by half over the next ten years.

Health Minister Mark Butler revealed that the Australian Government is seriously tackling the problem, as they are looking to reduce the number of smokers by half over the next decade. He mentioned that their next step is to alter cigarettes within the packet.

‘We know that the tobacco industry has innovated by trying to make individual sticks or individual cigarettes more attractive, more marketable, in the plain packaging,’ he admitted before adding that government officials are doing their best to remove the advantage that the tobacco industry has.

View attachment 9781

Smoking is estimated to kill almost 20,500 Australians each year, according to the ABS. Credit: Irina Iriser in Pexels

The Health Minister also mentioned that their goal now is to achieve a ‘national daily smoking prevalence’ of less than 10 per cent by 2025 and then further cut that to five per cent or less by 2030.

According to the ABS, one in ten adults were current daily smokers – around 10.7 per cent of the population or 2.1 million people. In their census, they also found that adults with fair or poor health were more likely to be current daily smokers.

‘I want to see a discussion about colours that make them unattractive, about dissuasive messages on individual sticks, which the Canadian government has just indicated they‘re going to go forward with’, Mr Butler said.

He also shared that aside from discussing printing health disclaimers on packets, to changing the colour to something more unappealing, government officials also suggested that flavoured cigarettes, such as menthols, could also be on ‘the chopping block’.

Megan Varlow from the Cancer Council explained that the main goal now is to create a deterrence strategy to remind smokers of the damage they are causing.

View attachment 9782

Men are more likely to smoke daily than women, according to the ABS. Credit: Pixabay in Pexels

She said: ‘The colours that the research has looked at so far are things like a very yucky brown or a sludgy green, they‘re not the sorts of things that you want to put in your mouth.’ Ms Varlow added that they aim to couple this research with warnings people find on packs, to reinforce the harms associated with smoking.

‘So, if there’s 20 cigarettes in a packet, that’s 20 reminders of the damage that the cigarette is doing.’

The issue of vaping was also addressed, and Mr Butler said they’ll ‘crackdown’ on the advertising techniques used to target kids.

He shared: ‘Vapes that are marketed out there with pink unicorns, bubblegum flavours, fruit flavours — they are not being marketed to adults.’

He added that vapes are clearly being marketed to young children or young adults. Mr Butler mentioned that the government was keeping a close eye on New Zealand’s regulations on vaping and said that ‘nothing is off the table’ the government will continue to push against nicotine addiction.

‘I don‘t think anything is off the table, in terms of the discussions that I’m having with state ministerial colleagues.’

Key Takeaways

• The Australian government is considering new methods to reduce smoking rates by half over the next decade.
• One potential method under consideration is to alter cigarettes within the packet, for example by printing health disclaimers on individual cigarettes or changing the colour to something less appealing.
• Another possibility is to target flavoured cigarettes, such as menthols, with regulations.
• The government is also considering cracking down on advertising techniques used to target children for vaping products.

What are your thoughts on this, folks? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

If the government really wanted to crack down on smoking they could ban it. But they would never do that partly because of all the tax that is paid by tobacco companies and smokers. Cigarettes are among the most highly taxed product in Australia. Do you really think that the government wants to see the end of this cash cow?

 

[TATTOO]

As we all know, smoking is incredibly harmful to our health – not just our own, but those around us as well. Second-hand smoke is just as dangerous as first-hand exposure, and it's one of the leading causes of preventable death in Australia.

That's why the Australian Government is taking steps to try and reduce smoking by half over the next ten years.

Health Minister Mark Butler revealed that the Australian Government is seriously tackling the problem, as they are looking to reduce the number of smokers by half over the next decade. He mentioned that their next step is to alter cigarettes within the packet.

‘We know that the tobacco industry has innovated by trying to make individual sticks or individual cigarettes more attractive, more marketable, in the plain packaging,’ he admitted before adding that government officials are doing their best to remove the advantage that the tobacco industry has.

View attachment 9781

Smoking is estimated to kill almost 20,500 Australians each year, according to the ABS. Credit: Irina Iriser in Pexels

The Health Minister also mentioned that their goal now is to achieve a ‘national daily smoking prevalence’ of less than 10 per cent by 2025 and then further cut that to five per cent or less by 2030.

According to the ABS, one in ten adults were current daily smokers – around 10.7 per cent of the population or 2.1 million people. In their census, they also found that adults with fair or poor health were more likely to be current daily smokers.

‘I want to see a discussion about colours that make them unattractive, about dissuasive messages on individual sticks, which the Canadian government has just indicated they‘re going to go forward with’, Mr Butler said.

He also shared that aside from discussing printing health disclaimers on packets, to changing the colour to something more unappealing, government officials also suggested that flavoured cigarettes, such as menthols, could also be on ‘the chopping block’.

Megan Varlow from the Cancer Council explained that the main goal now is to create a deterrence strategy to remind smokers of the damage they are causing.

View attachment 9782

Men are more likely to smoke daily than women, according to the ABS. Credit: Pixabay in Pexels

She said: ‘The colours that the research has looked at so far are things like a very yucky brown or a sludgy green, they‘re not the sorts of things that you want to put in your mouth.’ Ms Varlow added that they aim to couple this research with warnings people find on packs, to reinforce the harms associated with smoking.

‘So, if there’s 20 cigarettes in a packet, that’s 20 reminders of the damage that the cigarette is doing.’

The issue of vaping was also addressed, and Mr Butler said they’ll ‘crackdown’ on the advertising techniques used to target kids.

He shared: ‘Vapes that are marketed out there with pink unicorns, bubblegum flavours, fruit flavours — they are not being marketed to adults.’

He added that vapes are clearly being marketed to young children or young adults. Mr Butler mentioned that the government was keeping a close eye on New Zealand’s regulations on vaping and said that ‘nothing is off the table’ the government will continue to push against nicotine addiction.

‘I don‘t think anything is off the table, in terms of the discussions that I’m having with state ministerial colleagues.’

Key Takeaways

• The Australian government is considering new methods to reduce smoking rates by half over the next decade.
• One potential method under consideration is to alter cigarettes within the packet, for example by printing health disclaimers on individual cigarettes or changing the colour to something less appealing.
• Another possibility is to target flavoured cigarettes, such as menthols, with regulations.
• The government is also considering cracking down on advertising techniques used to target children for vaping products.

What are your thoughts on this, folks? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Here’s a thought how about rewarding those people who don’t smoke with some small incentives I have always thought how unfair that ten minute break every hour in offices and other places for people who smoke when those who don’t keep working that’s kinda ridiculous and totally unfair
just to be clear this is not a grudge I used to smoke many years ago I am retired now but I would have felt guilty if I had gone out every hour to smoke when other colleagues were still working away anyway it’s something to think about but I don’t think yucky colours will stop people from smoking let’s face it it’s an addiction people have to want to stop for themselves

 

[Ricci]

Like a lot of people I used to smoke. For dedicated smokers you can do all you want, put the price up, change the packaging, print messages, change the paper on individual smokes and it will make not one iota of difference to them. You have to want to stop smoking, really deep down want to stop before you will be successful and even then it might take a couple of goes.

 

[mick.idgaf]

As we all know, smoking is incredibly harmful to our health – not just our own, but those around us as well. Second-hand smoke is just as dangerous as first-hand exposure, and it's one of the leading causes of preventable death in Australia.

That's why the Australian Government is taking steps to try and reduce smoking by half over the next ten years.

Health Minister Mark Butler revealed that the Australian Government is seriously tackling the problem, as they are looking to reduce the number of smokers by half over the next decade. He mentioned that their next step is to alter cigarettes within the packet.

‘We know that the tobacco industry has innovated by trying to make individual sticks or individual cigarettes more attractive, more marketable, in the plain packaging,’ he admitted before adding that government officials are doing their best to remove the advantage that the tobacco industry has.

View attachment 9781

Smoking is estimated to kill almost 20,500 Australians each year, according to the ABS. Credit: Irina Iriser in Pexels

The Health Minister also mentioned that their goal now is to achieve a ‘national daily smoking prevalence’ of less than 10 per cent by 2025 and then further cut that to five per cent or less by 2030.

According to the ABS, one in ten adults were current daily smokers – around 10.7 per cent of the population or 2.1 million people. In their census, they also found that adults with fair or poor health were more likely to be current daily smokers.

‘I want to see a discussion about colours that make them unattractive, about dissuasive messages on individual sticks, which the Canadian government has just indicated they‘re going to go forward with’, Mr Butler said.

He also shared that aside from discussing printing health disclaimers on packets, to changing the colour to something more unappealing, government officials also suggested that flavoured cigarettes, such as menthols, could also be on ‘the chopping block’.

Megan Varlow from the Cancer Council explained that the main goal now is to create a deterrence strategy to remind smokers of the damage they are causing.

View attachment 9782

Men are more likely to smoke daily than women, according to the ABS. Credit: Pixabay in Pexels

She said: ‘The colours that the research has looked at so far are things like a very yucky brown or a sludgy green, they‘re not the sorts of things that you want to put in your mouth.’ Ms Varlow added that they aim to couple this research with warnings people find on packs, to reinforce the harms associated with smoking.

‘So, if there’s 20 cigarettes in a packet, that’s 20 reminders of the damage that the cigarette is doing.’

The issue of vaping was also addressed, and Mr Butler said they’ll ‘crackdown’ on the advertising techniques used to target kids.

He shared: ‘Vapes that are marketed out there with pink unicorns, bubblegum flavours, fruit flavours — they are not being marketed to adults.’

He added that vapes are clearly being marketed to young children or young adults. Mr Butler mentioned that the government was keeping a close eye on New Zealand’s regulations on vaping and said that ‘nothing is off the table’ the government will continue to push against nicotine addiction.

‘I don‘t think anything is off the table, in terms of the discussions that I’m having with state ministerial colleagues.’

Key Takeaways

• The Australian government is considering new methods to reduce smoking rates by half over the next decade.
• One potential method under consideration is to alter cigarettes within the packet, for example by printing health disclaimers on individual cigarettes or changing the colour to something less appealing.
• Another possibility is to target flavoured cigarettes, such as menthols, with regulations.
• The government is also considering cracking down on advertising techniques used to target children for vaping products.

What are your thoughts on this, folks? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

This is just bullshit and I am a ex-smoker. Why don't they pick on cars, trucks, mining power stations and industry that cause all the dangerous pollution in this world. Might as well ban acohol too as that is more dangerous then smoking. Just leave people alone, get on with your own lives and not put their noses into other peoples business.

 

[Gaena]

Like a lot of people I used to smoke. For dedicated smokers you can do all you want, put the price up, change the packaging, print messages, change the paper on individual smokes and it will make not one iota of difference to them. You have to want to stop smoking, really deep down want to stop before you will be successful and even then it might take a couple of goes.

I belong to the age group that were mostly all smokers at sometime beginning in their teens, I did not say no when offered my first one because I wanted to belong to the in crowd as well, I have been talking about giving up for years but my habit started when I was 16. Being told to give up because it is bad for your health has never been a good enough reason for me, nicotine is addictive and all the health services that make the rules about what we can and cannot do about smoking fail to see that, yes it is my choice to smoke, however, Alcohol is also highly addictive and the health services offer programes to assist problem drinkers with their addiction, why cannot smokers be offered the same. Yes I know some of you will shoot me down for that opinion but trying to stop smoking after over 50 years of a daily habit is very hard.

 

[MIZMAC]

Why not try lowering the nicotine content year by year.
I smoked from 16 into my 60s. Was hard to give up but now over 20 years.

 

[Mikeyboy2012]

As we all know, smoking is incredibly harmful to our health – not just our own, but those around us as well. Second-hand smoke is just as dangerous as first-hand exposure, and it's one of the leading causes of preventable death in Australia.

That's why the Australian Government is taking steps to try and reduce smoking by half over the next ten years.

Health Minister Mark Butler revealed that the Australian Government is seriously tackling the problem, as they are looking to reduce the number of smokers by half over the next decade. He mentioned that their next step is to alter cigarettes within the packet.

‘We know that the tobacco industry has innovated by trying to make individual sticks or individual cigarettes more attractive, more marketable, in the plain packaging,’ he admitted before adding that government officials are doing their best to remove the advantage that the tobacco industry has.

View attachment 9781

Smoking is estimated to kill almost 20,500 Australians each year, according to the ABS. Credit: Irina Iriser in Pexels

The Health Minister also mentioned that their goal now is to achieve a ‘national daily smoking prevalence’ of less than 10 per cent by 2025 and then further cut that to five per cent or less by 2030.

According to the ABS, one in ten adults were current daily smokers – around 10.7 per cent of the population or 2.1 million people. In their census, they also found that adults with fair or poor health were more likely to be current daily smokers.

‘I want to see a discussion about colours that make them unattractive, about dissuasive messages on individual sticks, which the Canadian government has just indicated they‘re going to go forward with’, Mr Butler said.

He also shared that aside from discussing printing health disclaimers on packets, to changing the colour to something more unappealing, government officials also suggested that flavoured cigarettes, such as menthols, could also be on ‘the chopping block’.

Megan Varlow from the Cancer Council explained that the main goal now is to create a deterrence strategy to remind smokers of the damage they are causing.

View attachment 9782

Men are more likely to smoke daily than women, according to the ABS. Credit: Pixabay in Pexels

She said: ‘The colours that the research has looked at so far are things like a very yucky brown or a sludgy green, they‘re not the sorts of things that you want to put in your mouth.’ Ms Varlow added that they aim to couple this research with warnings people find on packs, to reinforce the harms associated with smoking.

‘So, if there’s 20 cigarettes in a packet, that’s 20 reminders of the damage that the cigarette is doing.’

The issue of vaping was also addressed, and Mr Butler said they’ll ‘crackdown’ on the advertising techniques used to target kids.

He shared: ‘Vapes that are marketed out there with pink unicorns, bubblegum flavours, fruit flavours — they are not being marketed to adults.’

He added that vapes are clearly being marketed to young children or young adults. Mr Butler mentioned that the government was keeping a close eye on New Zealand’s regulations on vaping and said that ‘nothing is off the table’ the government will continue to push against nicotine addiction.

‘I don‘t think anything is off the table, in terms of the discussions that I’m having with state ministerial colleagues.’

Key Takeaways

• The Australian government is considering new methods to reduce smoking rates by half over the next decade.
• One potential method under consideration is to alter cigarettes within the packet, for example by printing health disclaimers on individual cigarettes or changing the colour to something less appealing.
• Another possibility is to target flavoured cigarettes, such as menthols, with regulations.
• The government is also considering cracking down on advertising techniques used to target children for vaping products.

What are your thoughts on this, folks? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Great to see and well overdue. Vaping is as bad, if not worse, than smoking because of the chemicals they contain. Whilst you're at it, why not ban high caffeine energy drinks? They are readily available, give young ones, in particular, a high and are are so bad for your long-term health. So bad for tired workers/drivers too. They drink far more that the recommended amount.

I've seen secondary and tertiary students guzzling these drinks at all hours of the day, often whilst having a vape. Vapes are banned in TAFE NSW by the way.

 

[gordon1940]

What if people smoke their coffin nails in the dark? The colour of the paper wrapped around the tobacco will undoubtedly make a huge difference to the taste and "enjoyment" of the weed within, won't it? Why not take it to the next step and make the paper glow in the dark, thus reinforcing the message?

Cost prohibitive, maybe.

 

[Macarj]

The Government has the power to just ban tobacco but they won't because of lost taxes

 

[Liz]

As a former smoker with lung issues now, I want to see it banned all together. I cannot see that happening but it should be banned in all unit complexes where non-smokers are affected by 2nd hand smoke. I just threw them away one day but it unfortunately, has to be a personal choice. More education is vital and don't make it attractive to young people and dont' get me started on vaping at all ages.

 

[Door Knob]

I don’t think changing the cigarette colour to brown would work. I remember when I was young which was a long time ago there use to be a cigarette brand that had brown paper and people still use to smoke them

 

[Zemo]

I might be on my own but in some cases I believe in brain washing.Start in preschool. “ If you were meant to smoke you would have been born with a chimney.” Show videos of damage caused by smoking, mild pictures getting more graphic as the childrens ages increase.

That' s been tried ... had a great effect, didn't it?

 

[JustPat]

My husband is a smoker (packet a day) and has been for 50 years and I would dearly love to see him give it up, not only for health reasons but also economical because once he retires in a couple of years I don't know how we will afford it.