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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 10 Hansard (25 September) . . Page.. 3474 ..

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But these efforts have not occurred in isolation, and have taken place in the context of continuing tobacco sales and marketing efforts.

Unfortunately, children are not immune from images that seek to portray tobacco use as normal and desirable. In fact, the evidence shows that they are far more vulnerable to tobacco advertising and promotion than are adults.

And because smoking is so overwhelmingly a habit that begins during childhood or adolescence, it is important that we focus on discouraging young people from starting a habit and ending up with a life-long dependency.

The tobacco industry says that it does not want people under the age of 18 to smoke and that smoking is an adult decision. This is a two-edged sword, of course, as children try to emulate adults and will be attracted by what is portrayed as adult behaviour.

I look forward to the support of the tobacco industry, and the support of local retailers, in facing up to the responsibilities associated with selling lethal and addictive products.

Tobacco products were once regarded as ubiquitous convenience products, like milk or bread. Changing the pattern of tobacco sales from their past status to one which reflects our present state of knowledge is an on-going task.

It is now accepted that, because of the addictive nature and detrimental health effects of tobacco products, it is appropriate for there to be strict controls on where and how these products are marketed and sold.

One of the problems in public health, or 'population health', is that it can be extremely difficult to attribute specific results or behaviours to particular health interventions, especially where people are exposed to many influences and particular initiatives, and some of those may have a delayed, rather than an immediate, effect.

It is reasonable to expect that carefully drafted legislation which achieves high levels of compliance will contribute significantly to a reduction in juvenile access to cigarettes though retail outlets and reduced exposure to tobacco advertising and promotion.

It is also reasonable to expect that this, in turn, will contribute to a reduction in smoking prevalence and smoking-related costs over the longer term.

One thing is certain: if we do not address these problems more seriously and more effectively, the ability of parents and schools to successfully impart health messages will continue to be undermined by what children see and experience in the community every day.

Updating this legislation provides an important opportunity to ensure that what happens in the community supports those health messages and supports young people who want to lead tobacco-free lives.

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