CIGARETTE PACKAGING

Mr SIBBONS (Mitchell) (12:09): I move:

That this house expresses its support for the federal government's move to introduce plain label packaging for cigarettes across Australia by 1 July 2012.

Tobacco smoking remains the single most preventable cause of illness and death within Australia. Three South Australians die every day from tobacco-related illness and an estimated $2.39 billion is lost to South Australia's economy each year in health costs and lost productivity related to smoking.

Currently, 21 per cent of South Australians aged 15 years and above smoke and 23 per cent of young people aged 15 to 29 years are also smokers. Half of all teenagers who start smoking and do not quit will die prematurely as a result of their tobacco use. It is not just those who smoke who are affected, it is also their families, children and other members of the community who are exposed to potentially dangerous passive cigarette smoke.

The Australian government's proposal on plain packaging aims to prevent the attractiveness and appeal of tobacco products to consumers, particularly young people. Along with other tobacco control measures, it will be an important contribution to removing the power of advertising and marketing of tobacco products to potential customers, particularly young people.

The South Australian government has a strong commitment to tobacco control and reducing the prevalence of smoking by both encouraging smokers to quit and discouraging the uptake of smoking. New and expanded measures to help smokers give up, help ex-smokers stay on track and reduce the community's exposure to cigarette smoke are being implemented.

Along with the Australian government, this government has increased its investment in effective quit smoking media campaigns across South Australia to encourage smokers to quit, support quitters to stay on track and discourage non-smokers from taking up smoking. Campaigns are important because they encourage smokers to think about how smoking affects their health and encourages them to quit.

Together with the increased cigarette taxes introduced by the Australian government on 30 April 2010, these actions are likely to have a dramatic effect on reducing cigarette smoking in Australia. South Australia has committed $5.76 million over four years to reducing smoking amongst Aboriginal people as part of the Council of Australian Governments' Closing the Gap initiative.

The government is in the process of introducing new legislation to prohibit smoking under covered public transport and taxi waiting areas, ban smoking within 10 metres of children's public play equipment and allow local councils and other bodies to apply to have their outdoor areas or events declared smoke-free.

This government is also removing all tobacco products from display in general retailers from 1 January 2012, with a temporary exemption for specialist tobacconists until 31 December 2014. This measure will remove the strong inducement for young people to take up smoking and will help ex-smokers stay quit by reducing their exposure to relapse triggers. In addition, we are working with the hospitality sector to introduce smoke-free outdoor dining and drinking across the state by 2016. Every smoker who gives up and every young person who decides not to start is a life potentially saved, and these measures will contribute to that important goal.

Debate adjourned on motion of Mr Treloar.