Smoking campaign confronts the truth

A new and deliberately shocking national campaign will help people understand the real dangers of smoking, the Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Ageing, Christopher Pyne, said.

The campaign focuses on the risk that smoking will lead to peripheral vascular disease which can lead to limb gangrene and amputation. It is a collaboration of Quit SA, NT Health, Queensland Health, the Cancer Institute NSW, the National Heart Foundation of Australia, The Cancer Council Victoria, Quit Tasmania, Quit Victoria.

Mr Pyne said it would reinforce the Government’s message that “every cigarette is doing damage”.

“I don’t doubt that most Australians will react strongly to these advertisements “, Mr Pyne said, “But, while they are confronting, they do not overstate the real dangers of smoking”.

Most people know that smoking can cause lung cancer and heart disease, but don't realise that it can also affect many other organs and areas of the body. New graphic warnings on tobacco product packaging form part of the campaign.

“I hope this new campaign will motivate smokers to quit, help former smokers to ‘stay quit’, and also discourage young Australians from taking up smoking.”

Mr Pyne said the Australian public underestimated the negative health consequences of smoking. For example, around 2,000 Australians die from mouth and throat cancers each year. Of about 4,000 people diagnosed with these cancers each year, 80% are smokers.

Remember: Smoking is the single largest preventable cause of death and disability in Australia. Over 50% of long-term smokers will die from smoking-related causes.

Source: ©copyright. Smoking campaign confronts the truth. 8 May 2006 http://www.health.gov.au/internet/ministers/publishing.nsf/Content/health-mediarel-yr2006-cp-pyn024.htm