AMA joins SmokeFree '03 coalition

Dr Glasson said environmental tobacco smoke in people's workplaces is a significant public health concern.

"People have a right to a clean, safe working environment," Dr Glasson said.

"The AMA is working with other stakeholders to ensure an urgent total indoor smoking ban across Australia," Dr Glasson said.

"Secondhand tobacco smoke causes cancer, heart disease, respiratory illness and other illnesses.

"It does immediate and potentially fatal long-term health harm to workers and patrons of smoky venues.

"Ventilation-based strategies alone don't protect adequately against the dangers," Dr Glasson said.

The AMA has a long history of advocacy on tobacco control.  Each year at its National Conference the AMA, in conjunction with the Australian Council on Smoking and Health (ACOSH), produces the National Tobacco Scoreboard that ranks the anti-smoking legislative and public health efforts of State and Territory Governments.

Dr Glasson today warned State and Territory Governments that the AMA will be closely evaluating their pursuit of safe, smokefree workplaces.

"All governments should be moving immediately to make workplaces smokefree," he said.

"As a community we must do all we can to prevent further illness and death from smoking in the Australian population," Dr Glasson said.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) Tobacco Atlas:

• Of everyone alive today 500 million will eventually be killed by tobacco
• Cigarettes kill half of all lifetime users, with half dying in middle age
• Fifty percent of young people who continue to smoke will die from smoking
• Every cigarette takes seven minutes off your life
• Smoking is responsible for 90 per cent of all lung cancer

Smoking costs the Australian economy $6 billion each year. (ACOSH estimates the cost of smoking to the Australian economy closer to $21 billion each year).

CONTACT:         Judith Tokley             (02) 6270 5471 / (0408) 824 306