Opportunity to encourage smokers to quit - as prices can
only keep rising. Average smoker already spends $3,000pa on
tobacco. Latest research says further measures to cut smoking will
help poorest families most - see www.cancercouncil.com.au/editorial.asp?pageid=1891.
Opportunity to
work with Aboriginal & TSI groups to help reduce appalling (and
not falling) smoking rates: 42% women, 59% men. These
communities need more on-the-ground support to get smoking rates
down. More: www.ashaust.org.au/lv3/Lv3informationindigenous.htm.
Publicise
evidence linking smoking to middle ear diseases - e.g. a third of
‘glue ear’ cases, the commonest cause of deafness in children,
are attributable to parental smoking.
More on the week at
www.hearingawarenessweek.org.au/
