Thank You For Smoking On International Flights

Main Category: Smoking / Quit Smoking
Article Date: 16 Jul 2008 - 4:00 PDT

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The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) is concerned that Qantas has reintroduced tobacco sales on board its international flights. The sale of tobacco products will begin at the end of July.

Despite restrictions preventing Qantas from advertising cigarettes in the on-board shopping catalogue, the airline is allowed to display these products on the duty-free trolley in the cabin.

"It is disappointing to see that at a time when the health risks of smoking are clearly established and when a lot of money is invested in anti-smoking campaigns by the Australian government, our national airline is reintroducing cheap tobacco sales on board, right in front of our children and teenagers," said Dr Kelly Seach, GP and RACGP Registrar Representative.

"The younger people are when they first try smoking, the more likely they are to become regular tobacco users and the less likely they are to quit - we have to break the cycle before it begins. To protect young people in particular, we must not display cigarettes to them.

"As GPs we are very worried about this development. Promoting and facilitating access to cigarettes is not in the best interest of people's health, especially our children.

"The benefits of quitting smoking are well established. Successfully quitting smoking can result in a boost to your life expectancy by up to ten years," said Dr Seach.

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) is responsible for maintaining standards for quality clinical practice, education and training, and research in Australian general practice. The RACGP has the largest general practitioner membership of any medical organisation in Australia and represents the majority of Australia's general practitioners.

Royal Australian College of General Practitioners