Tackling smoking rates
The Government is taking strong action to tackle smoking rates by:
- increasing tobacco excise;
- legislating to remove tobacco advertising and promotion from tobacco packaging, a world first; and
- funding a National Tobacco Campaign to target smokers in high‑risk and hard‑to‑reach groups.
Strong action to reduce smoking rates — increasing tobacco excise
From 30 April 2010, the Government increased the tobacco excise and excise‑equivalent customs duty rate by 25 per cent.
Increasing the rate of tobacco excise will help provide clear incentives for existing smokers to quit. Higher tobacco prices will particularly discourage young people from taking up smoking as they are more responsive to price rises than older people.
The excise increase will provide an extra $5 billion in excise and customs duty over five years that, along with existing excise revenues from tobacco, will be directly invested in better health and better hospitals for all Australians.
Plain packaging for tobacco products
In a world first, the Government is investing $2.6 million over four years to remove one of the last remaining vehicles for the advertising of tobacco by preventing tobacco advertising and promotion on tobacco packaging.
The National Tobacco Campaign — targeted approaches
The Government is contributing $28 million over four years to continue funding for a national tobacco advertising campaign to target smokers in high‑risk and hard‑to‑reach groups.
Other investments in preventative health
The Government is committing a further $50 million over four years to community activities to address binge drinking, building on the National Binge Drinking Strategy.
Declining consumption of tobacco in response to price, 1989‑2009
