Manifesto

Smoking combustible cigarettes causes immense health, social and economic costs on individual Australians & their families. Smoking rates in Australia have only been declining slowly since 2013 while uptake of vaping and other nicotine reduced risk options has been slower than in the UK and UK where decline in smoking rates has accelerated. Australia, once a world leader in reducing smoking rates due to Australia’s annual 12.5% increase of taxation on tobacco products annually, plain packaging, zero advertising, retail licensing and age restriction laws, has stagnated in reducing smoking rates since 2013 failing to achieve their own goals set out in the National Tobacco Strategy since 2012. Meanwhile other countries like USA, UK & NZ have vastly outpaced Australian in reducing smoking rates since 2013 with the introduction and regulation of reduced risk nicotine products. Accordingly, ASACA supports the following:

  • Making it as easy as possible for smokers to switch to much lower risk options than tobacco products e.g., nicotine vaping products.

  • Reduced risk options to be regulated (i.e., taxation, packing, advertising, flavours etc (quality control) according to scientifically assess risks against legal tobacco products.

  • Nicotine used in reduced risk option to be shifted from Schedule 4 of the poisons Standard to Schedule 2 to enable over the counter in in licensed shops.

  • Focus on helping middle aged & elderly smokers (who are most at risk of smoking related diseases & early death) access reduced risk nicotine products.

  • Australia already has low rates of smoking initiation in youth, and this must be maintained and extended, as well as maintaining a low uptake of all nicotine products by youth.

  • Australians who vape and/or smoke should have input into nicotine policy.

  • After vaping then heated tobacco products, Swedish snus, and nicotine pouches should also be readily available to Australian adults, affordable, attractive low risk

  • Nicotine reduced risk options should all be regarded as consumer products regulated by the ACCC (Australian competition and consumer commission) not listed in poison standard and regulated by TGA (Therapeutic Goods Administration). 

  • Australia should aim to be smoke free (smoking rated less than 5%) by 2030

  • Special emphasis on reducing very high smoking rates among first nations, low income and disadvantaged groups with reduced risk nicotine options to be allowed and advocated towards for smokers wanting to quit and/or maintain their quit journey in health care, mental health and correctional facilities.