The Health Minister does not consider that a smoke ban is worth considering. The bill which proposes to ban anyone born after year 2000 to smoke starting with 2018 passed after a unanimous vote in the Upper House.
The ban would be phased in over time and thus Tasmania would manage to raise the minimum legal age to smoke. The aim of this bill is to create a smoking-free generation. If the bill passes then Tasmania will become the first state on earth that has such a thoroughly ban on cigarettes.
The state Tasmania has the highest rates of smoking in Australia. Statistically 1 in 4 teenagers are smoking while nationally only 1 in 5 are smoking. Smoking cigarettes is the greatest cause of lung cancer. Lung cancer takes around twenty or more years to develop. A total of 4,715 males and 2,911 females died from lung cancer in 2007 according to a publication released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. This number is gradually rising every year.
Tobacco companies have a lot more to fear. After the Australian High Court rejected a challenge to the current Australian policy tobacco products must all have the same design and the same size in order to be sold legally starting with 1st of December. The World Health Organization hailed the ruling and is urging the rest of the world to follow Australia’s example for tobacco products marketing.
