Call For Political Leadership On Tobacco Control, As Australia's Deadliest Cancer Continues To Take Unacceptable Toll, Australia

Main Category: Lung Cancer
Also Included In: Cancer / Oncology
Article Date: 08 Nov 2007 - 1:00 PDT

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Lung Cancer Day is an opportunity for political parties to commit to reducing the mortality of Australia's deadliest cancer through improved tobacco control, The Cancer Council Australia said today.

Chief Executive Officer, Professor Ian Olver, said lung cancer claimed more Australian lives than any other cancer, with almost 7000 deaths in 2003 and a 36 per cent increase in lung cancer mortality in women over the past 20 years.

"Despite the high mortality of lung cancer, it is one of the most preventable forms of cancer, with around four out of five lung cancer deaths caused by smoking," Professor Olver said.

"Parliamentarians should be reminded that almost one in five Australian adults raising their risk of premature death from lung cancer by smoking is unacceptable.

"There is an important role for government to reduce the lung cancer death toll caused by smoking."

Professor Olver said Australia was a world leader in tobacco control, with groundbreaking measures such as the National Tobacco Campaign ["Every cigarette is doing you damage"] in the late 1990s and the whole-of-government National Tobacco Strategy 2004-09.

"But we cannot afford to be complacent and need to re-initiate the National Tobacco Campaign so its proven success can save more lives and reduce healthcare expenditure into the future," he said.

"And we need to build structure around the National Tobacco Strategy, which is good policy but lacks an integrated implementation plan.

"This is an ideal time for the next Australian Government to show leadership in re-energising the national commitment to reducing tobacco use, which would be by far the most effective way to get Australia to a point where lung cancer is no longer the nation's deadliest cancer."

Detailed information on The Cancer Council Australia tobacco control election priorities is available from http://www.cancer.org.au/election.

Cancer Council Australia

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