New anti-smoking ads targeting high-risk groups such as pregnant women and the Indigenous community have been welcomed by Australia’s biggest health union, the Australian Nursing Federation (ANF).
The ads will run on TV, radio, print and social media and are the latest initiatives in the Federal Government’s ongoing fight against smoking. There will also be new smartphone apps to help smokers quit the habit.
ANF Federal Secretary Lee Thomas said tobacco smoking continues to be the single largest cause of preventable premature death and disease in Australia.
“Around 15,000 Australians die from smoking related diseases – 40 preventable deaths every day,” Ms Thomas said today.
“The ANF’s members, nurses, midwives and assistants in nursing, witness the tragic consequences of smoking on victims and their families across Australia’s hospital and aged care systems.
“At a time when public health is struggling under growing patient demand, smoking and smoking-related diseases are also creating a massive burden on the Australian health system, with hospital costs mounting to hundreds of millions of dollars each year.
“That’s why the ANF welcomes the new anti-smoking ads, especially as they are aimed at some of the community’s high-risk groups.”
The latest anti-smoking initiatives coincide with the introduction of new plain packaging for tobacco products, commencing next month.
“The ANF and its growing membership continue to support the Government’s policies and initiatives aimed at reducing smoking across the community to save lives and improve the overall health of thousands of Australians every year,” Ms Thomas added.
The ANF, with over 220,000 members, is the professional and industrial voice for nurses, midwives and assistants in nursing in Australia. The NSWNMA is the NSW branch of the ANF.
