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“
While
the budget included several welcomed new initiatives in health and
medical research, indigenous health and chronic disease programs,
the 2007-08 level of funding to reduce tobacco diseases is less than
$8m - not enough to deal with the scale and size of the problem. “Preventing
and reducing tobacco use is not mentioned in any of these initiatives,
despite it causing 19,000 deaths and $21b in costs each year,” says
Anne Jones, Chief Executive of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH)
Australia. “This
is despite the government’s own research telling it that tobacco
control is the most cost-effective area for government health
investment, returning $2 in savings for every $1 invested. “Funding
initiatives in the budget include programs to reduce Type 2 diabetes,
indigenous health inequities, dental diseases, and children’s
health. All of these are significantly affected by tobacco – yet
there is no specific funding commitment to programs aimed at reducing
smoking rates. “Tobacco
is by far our costliest drug problem. Over three million Australians
are addicted to this ‘legal’ drug. Although good progress has been
made in reducing smoking rates to less than 20%, further investment is
needed to reduce tobacco diseases and stem the massive blowout in PBS
drug costs caused by smoking.” Health
groups are seeking bipartisan support for a funding review, claiming
government complacency over “legal”
drugs and political donations from the tobacco industry is resulting
in poor policy decisions that are not based on evidence or expert
advice. Comment: Anne Jones, CEO, ASH Australia m. 0417-227-879 Media
info: Stafford
Sanders, ASH Australia
ph. (02) 9334-1823; m.
0412-070-194
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Page last updated 9/5/07 |
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