Message from Damian Drum

As a former AFL footballer and coach, I know that cigarettes can reduce an athlete’s ability to perform.

But worse than that – the harmful products contained in cigarettes can kill you.

I believe that our society has a responsibility to protect our children from both illicit and legal drugs which may harm their health.

There exists a strong legal framework to preclude access to use of illicit drugs by all elements of the community – children and adults alike.

Legal drugs are another matter. While laws have been enacted to restrict the possession, use, purchase and supply of alcohol to people under the age of 18 years, such stringent limitations are not placed on tobacco products.

In Victoria, it is illegal to sell cigarettes to children but there are no laws preventing children from smoking, or requesting an older friend to make purchases on their behalf.

Against this backdrop, Victoria’s current efforts to reduce the level of cigarette smoking in our community are not working among younger people. In the past 20 years, the smoking rate in the wider community has almost halved to just 19% but amongst 16-17 year-olds, the smoking rate has barely moved and now stands at 28%.

The Nationals in Victoria believe that we need to do more to reduce the number of cigarette smokers in our community and are proposing a range of new measures, in support of existing initiatives. The specific focus of these new initiatives is on preventing young people from taking up the habit.

The proposed new measures include:

• Making it illegal for people under the age of 18 years to purchase, use or possess tobacco products in a public place; and
• Banning smoking in vehicles when a person under the age of 18 is present.

These are significant proposals and The Nationals are interested in your opinion. We are asking for your feedback and your ideas on the best ways to reduce the rate of youth smoking in Victoria.

DAMIAN DRUM, MLC
The Nationals Spokesman for Community Services

December 2007

 

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