Just Accepted
This article has been peer reviewed and accepted for publication. It is in production and has not been edited, so may differ from the final published form.
10 years of preventive health in Australia. Part 4 – Extending gains in tobacco control
Abstract
Ten years ago, Australia’s tobacco plain packaging laws had significantly shifted the tobacco control landscape. The smoking rate for people aged 18+ has continued to decline from 16.4% in 2013 to 11.1% in 2022–23. In 2023, tobacco control policy inertia since plain packaging was finally addressed with the passage of a comprehensive package of reforms. These measures focus on tighter regulation of tobacco products. However, in recent years the tobacco control discourse in Australia has been hijacked by the surge in vape use. In June 2024, the Australian government passed legislation that closed significant loopholes in vaping legislation. The now strict controls on where vapes can be sold highlights the lack of control on the supply of cigarettes. An expert group to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control is preparing a report for the next Conference of the Parties that will consider a broad range of measures including how and to whom tobacco products can be sold, what types of tobacco products can be sold, and what structural changes could be made to the tobacco industry. This presents an opportunity for Australia to once again implement transformative, world-first policies. As the tobacco industry continues to develop new products that exploit vagaries in public health policy so to must tobacco control continue to evolve.
PU24019 Accepted 18 December 2024
© CSIRO 2024
