Page 1958 - Week 07 - Thursday, 31 May 1990
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not smoking. Information desks and displays have been set up at the Tuggeranong Hyperdome, Woden Plaza, Belconnen Mall and the Canberra Centre with the themes of smoking prevention and cessation. The Canberra Association on Smoking and Health has set up a display at Parliament House.
Indeed at lunchtime, Mr Speaker, I was fortunate to go down to Woden Plaza and officially launch World No Tobacco Day there and also use a machine called a vitalograph which measured my heart-lung capacity. I was pleased to note that my capacity exceeded that of Mr Dean Lance from the Canberra Raiders.
Earlier this year I announced the Government's intention to introduce legislation into this Assembly to further restrict tobacco sales, promotion and advertising. I am pleased to advise the Assembly that the draft legislation covering these areas will be introduced for the Assembly's consideration next week. Many of the legislative proposals to be introduced will be specifically targeted at reducing the exposure of children and young people to tobacco products and advertising. The association of smoking with adventure, fun, risk taking, sporting and social success has a particularly harmful effect by encouraging children and young people to take up smoking.
The legislation will ban the advertising of tobacco products in all places in the ACT except in the print media and at the point of sale. The Federal Government will eliminate print advertising of tobacco products throughout Australia from the end of this year. In addition, the legislation will increase the legal age for purchasing tobacco products, increase fines for sales to minors, increase controls on vending machine placement and bans on confectionery and toys designed to look like cigarettes or cigarette packages.
World No Tobacco Day is a day of mobilisation. As a community we are not doing enough to prevent or control smoking. Some measures, such as those I have just outlined, can be taken by governments. However, the smoking problem will only be resolved when it is seen as a problem for all sections of the community. It is the responsibility of all to demonstrate a commitment to the eradication of health problems related to smoking and to ensure that children's health will not continue to be jeopardised by tobacco, one of the greatest causes of preventable disease and premature death.
Mr Speaker, I present the following paper:
World No Tobacco Day - ministerial statement, 31 May 1990.
I move:
That the Assembly takes note of the paper.
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