Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party, Deputy Leader of the Nationals in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the senator for her question and note her very real interest in what is an important issue for all Australians. All of us in this chamber know that smoking causes great harm to Australians; leads to death from cancer and lung and heart disease; and hurts families. The coalition government has moved ahead with a suite of evidence based initiatives, including a focus on Indigenous communities. The government is also defending the legal action against plain packaging by the big tobacco companies. Smoking rates in Australia have been reduced to an all-time low.

The most recent national data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare's National Drug Strategy Household Survey 2013 reports that the daily smoking rates for those aged 14 and over has now dropped to 12.8 per cent. Young people—those on the other side might be interested to know—are also delaying commencing smoking. The average age at which 14- to 24-year-olds smoke their first full cigarette increased from 15.4 years of age in 2010 to 15.9 years of age in 2013. This is the most significant drop in smoking rates in Australia in 20 years and reinforces the benefits of having a multifaceted, evidence based comprehensive suite of tobacco control measures.

Price measures are one component of the Australian government's comprehensive set of national tobacco control measures, which also include education programs and campaigns, plain packaging, labelling tobacco packaging with updated and larger graphic health warnings, prohibiting tobacco advertising and promotion, and, most importantly, providing support for smokers to quit.