Urgent need to adopt Parliamentary Inquiry recommendations to combat tobacco and non-therapeutic vaping harm

Cancer Council Victoria and Quit strongly support the recommendations put forward by a government-led inquiry in response to the financial, health, social and environmental effects of tobacco and e-cigarette use on the wider Victorian community.

The new report from the Public Accounts and Estimates Committee (PAEC), tabled this week, outlines 27 strong recommendations and calls on the Victorian Government to:

• review funding allocated to preventative health care in light of the health costs borne by individuals and the community from nicotine dependence, finding that “health promotion agencies [are constrained] from meeting growing demand for awareness raising and nicotine cessation treatment services”;

• review the funding for existing anti‑smoking campaigns to pivot to address all nicotine products, including e‑cigarettes and nicotine pouches;

• establish an effective tobacco licensing system with high annual licence fees and restrictions on the number of licences granted; informed by the recommendations of Better Regulation Victoria out of its 2022 review of Victoria’s approach to illicit tobacco regulation;

• amend laws to strengthen retail and wholesale licence revocation capability and to prohibit the sale of tobacco and other nicotine products by people under the age of 18;

• continue to support Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations to develop and deliver vaping and tobacco control initiatives relevant to their local communities; and

• consider setting more ambitious, comprehensive and segmented targets on the proportion of Victorians who smoke, vape and consume other nicotine products daily as part of the state public health and wellbeing plan.

Commending the bipartisan support for these changes expressed through the report, Cancer Council Victoria CEO Todd Harper AM also acknowledged the report did not touch on the immediate investment needed to enforce current regulations.

“Victoria is the last state in Australia to introduce a tobacco retail licencing scheme. So while the recommendations of this government-led inquiry are a significant step toward catching Victoria up, we are also focused on the immediate need to fund state enforcement measures for both illicit tobacco and vaping products,” Mr Harper said.

“We urge the Government not to wait the allowed six months to reply to this report. I’m hopeful they will follow the lead of South Australia and Queensland and act immediately. We need a significant ramp up of enforcement now,” Mr Harper added.

Quit Director, Rachael Andersen said progress had been achieved through sustained commitment to and investment in a comprehensive approach to tobacco control in Victoria and the report’s delivery was a positive step forward.

“Within these 27 recommendations, we welcome the recommended expansion of cessation support services to targeted care for specific groups, as well as the need for greater investment in prevention through public education programs,” Ms Andersen said.

“It is critical that we continue with a whole-of-community approach to stamp out illicit tobacco and illegal sales of vaping products. All parts of government must work together to combat the alarming trends in e-cigarette use, and to end the devastating toll of tobacco on the Victorian community” Ms Andersen concluded.

Ready to quit? Quit is ready to support you. At any age, at any stage of your quitting journey, visit quit.org.au or call 13 7848 for free, confidential, non-judgemental phone counselling and advice.

-ENDS-

Media contact:

Prue Gildea – Quit Senior Media Advisor

M: 0400 394 274 E: prue.gildea@cancervic.org.au

About Quit:

Quit is one of Cancer Council Victoria’s most recognisable contributions to public health. Through regulatory change, iconic health promotion campaigns, and support for smoking cessation, adult daily smoking has declined from 35% when Quit was formed in 1984, to below 9% today. Visit www.quit.org.au

About Cancer Council Victoria:

Cancer Council Victoria is a non-profit cancer organisation dedicated to world-leading cancer research, prevention, and support since our establishment in 1936. Our mission is to prevent cancer, empower patients and save lives. Find out more at www.cancervic.org.au