Health groups rate NT government the worst in the nation on efforts to stamp out smoking

Leading Australian health organisations have ranked the NT government last out of every state and territory on recent efforts to combat smoking.

A group of leading Australian health organisations have ranked the NT government last out of every state and territory on efforts to combat smoking over the past 12 months.

The Territory’s dire performance was highlighted as part of the Dirty Ashtray Awards, a joint Australian Medical Association (AMA) and Australian Council on Smoking and Health (ACOSH) initiative announced on World No Tobacco Day each year which puts a spotlight on governments, industry groups and organisations that fail to do enough to stop people smoking.

The Cancer Council and National Heart Foundation also had input.

ACOSH chief executive Maurice Swanson said despite the NT having Australia’s highest smoking rate, with 17.3 per cent of residents classed as smokers, the Territory government continued to lag behind the rest of the nation in taking action.

He said while it was encouraging the NT government had recently introduced its Tobacco Control Plan 2019-2023, the strategy hadn’t been given enough resources to be implemented effectively.

“They needed to have started yesterday; that’s how urgent it is,” he said.

MORE TOP NEWS

Jacinta Price to challenge Sam McMahon in NT Senate run

Territorians urged to get safe Covid-19 vaccines as soon as possible

Liquor Commission recommends new grog laws for Barkly in a bid to reduce alcohol-related harm

“Because they’ve got such a poor record – they’ve won the Dirty Ashtray Award 13 times in the last 25 years.

“They have got their plan, which is a start – they just need to resource it and get on with it.”

Mr Swanson said key actions the NT government could take to reduce smoking rates and “save thousands of lives” included strengthening monitoring and enforcement of its existing tobacco legislation, funding anti-smoking public education campaigns and ensuring all Territory health services routinely received support to encourage clients to quit.

He also said the government should abolish dedicated smoking areas for teachers in schools and other educational institutions and prohibit political donations from the tobacco industry and its front groups.

This year, the Dirty Ashtray was given to Philip Morris Australia (Limited), British American Tobacco Australia (Limited), Imperial Tobacco Australia (Limited) and the National Retail Association.

AMA president Dr Omar Khorshid said the ‘Big Tobacco’ companies at the National Retail Association were attempting to undermine Australia’s strict tobacco control programs.