Promoting an early death

The Australian public is exposed to some outrageous headlines attempting to excite them about spending rorts by people in high places. Rarely though is it exposed to the enormous spending on death defying recklessness by people on tobacco products.


The headline (on right) is supposed to create anger that the Nation’s Prime Minister travels too much.




What about the other? (on left) – Would it raise an eyebrow or simply be put aside with a sigh and an exclamation of – “oh well – you have to die of something”. And after the death – “oh yes but he was a smoker” as if that makes it all right to smoke to death.
No - it should not be like this.
The hackneyed old excuse that people have to take responsibility for their own health must be banned from use in a situation where people are legally allowed to buy products that are promoting a low life expectancy. By the time people “learn” to take personal responsibility for their actions thousands will have died from the effects of tobacco products and only the government of the day will be to blame for allowing this carnage to continue. Who will then say “sorry” in 50 years time?
A remote community of 2,500 population spends $80,000 a fortnight of a $500,000 welfare cheque on tobacco products. It is estimated that a further $80,000 is spent on Ganja. (References available). 12 years ago the community store, takeaway and licensed club at Nguiu (Bathurst Island) was taking over 50% of its total revenue from beer and tobacco products. What of the others and where are the stats now? If anyone has them please speak up or is this vital market intelligence silenced by the same people that are profiting from the marketing of ill health?
And how good would it be if that same amount was being spent on community development activities or to facilitate the development of enterprises that would create employment opportunities. Yes that is right – something to do. Anyone who has (or does) smoke will know how much less is smoked when in a working environment that does either not allow smoking or is such that it is not possible to smoke. Imagine if of that 2,500 population there were suddenly 200 with a job – no time to smoke. If the money was put into a community fund a lot could happen.
As for the price of cigarettes – who cares?
A smoker will spend up to $15 a packet if they feel they need it. For all the debate about what difference the price makes, and how “price sensitive” is the marketplace – forget it. Not many smokers would know how much they paid for their last packet of cigarettes.
Just put the price up to $25 a packet and put the $10 a packet into a community fund.
If $80,000 a fortnight is being spent on cigarettes and people halved the amount they smoked – there would be (potentially) $40,000 a fortnight to go into a community fund for extra community development activities or an educational fund for school excursions. That is $ One million a year for a community fund from a self imposed tobacco tax. The cost benefit to the community is huge – what a headline that would make!
Only drastic measures will bring about behavioral change and it is about time the authorities “bit the bullet” and did something drastic. Tinkering around the edges has produced no change and the situation still exists where people in these communities do not know what good health is.
Spend the money from the tobacco tax on promoting good health – but in the same vigorous way that McDonalds, Coke and Kentucky promote ill health and oh yes VB, Four Ex, Tooheys and Fosters too.
As for the remote community takeaway stores – some of them are just selling sickness. Bulldoze them all and create a “good health” store where at least the choices will be healthy ones.

Ends