Nick Xenophon (SA, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My questions to the minister are fairly straightforward. Firstly, will the statistics on smoking rates amongst various demographics, including Indigenous communities and teen smokers, be published on an annual basis? Secondly, will the needs of quit lines and other agencies that assist people to quit smoking be monitored and will the government undertake to favourably consider such a request to ensure that there are adequate resources to deal with those services that help people at the front-line to stop smoking? Thirdly, in relation to the funding for the social marketing campaigns, can the government provide further details as to how that will be spent in dealing with some of the pernicious ways the tobacco industry are trying to get around tobacco advertising bans through their work on social networking sites and the like? Fourthly, on the issue of the nicotine replacement therapy, what time frame is the government looking at with respect to such therapy, given the recommendations that have been made by the Preventative Health Taskforce to provide such therapy to smokers to assist them to quit smoking?

Nick Sherry (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Xenophon, I can provide you with some material on the survey but not all today. So I will take that on notice and get you further details. The National Drug Strategy Household Survey is conducted every three years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. It is not done annually. I understand that the next survey will be carried out in the next few months and published. I do not have a date. That will give us some response data.

Nick Xenophon (SA, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Does that include teenage smokers?

Nick Sherry (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am coming to that. It includes an age breakdown, so my assumption is—but I will get this confirmed—given that it does provide an age breakdown it will include teenagers, but I cannot say categorically. In respect of Indigenous communities, I cannot provide details. The sample size is too small. You may be aware that I have ministerial responsibility for the ABS. I will have a discussion with them to see whether or not we can improve the data collection set. I do not want to mislead you, Senator Xenophon. I would be surprised if we could do that for this survey coming up. Nevertheless, I will take it up with the ABS as well as, going forward beyond the next three-year data publication, seeing what can be done about the time frame of collecting data in this area, including data representative of Indigenous communities. If I can get further information for you, I will. That is the commitment I give. I will meet with the ABS about any of the issues in your questions that cannot be responded to.

On the social marketing issue a panel of experts has been appointed. I understand that there is no argument about the make-up of the panel. They are, identifiably, a panel of experts in the area. They will be providing advice on the program—the marketing and make-up of the program—and we will have that by the end of the year. The intention is that the marketing program will commence by the end of this year. As yet I cannot give you any further information for the obvious reason that the panel of experts has just been appointed.

On the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and the issue of nicotine replacement, it is up to the group who oversee the PBS to make recommendations on that. We do not have a recommendation. There is some analysis to be carried out on nicotine replacement medication, presumably. Some would be available via prescription; some may not be available by prescription. I simply do not know; that is just speculation on my part. Anyway, we are awaiting recommendations about the PBS on the matter of nicotine replacement.

Nick Xenophon (SA, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the minister for his answers. Firstly, in relation to the issue of surveys, given that the government is bringing in $5.5 billion in the forward estimates and that the effectiveness of any programs in terms of people giving up can, I think, be determined in a matter of months rather than over a three-year period, has the government considered undertaking any additional surveys—in addition to the ABS surveys and the health surveys undertaken every three years—in relation to this specific measure, for both the tobacco excise increase and the other associated measures, to see how effective this can be in reducing smoking? Is there any mechanism to monitor that so that the programs could be modified to ensure the efficacy of measures to reduce rates of smoking? I may be mistaken, but I think that the minister may not have specifically addressed the issue of quit lines. What consideration will the government be giving to the resources of quit lines being stretched as a result of more people wanting to give up smoking because of the tobacco excise increase? Also, has the PBAC made a recommendation with regard to nicotine replacement therapy subsidies?

Nick Sherry (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On the last issue first: yes, they have made a recommendation to government and that is currently before the government. On quit lines: amongst the other expenditures that I outlined there is $5 million which is being paid this financial year for Quitline. I am advised that quit lines are funded from state and territory governments—I do not have the level of their funding—so the Commonwealth has allocated $5 million for this financial year.

I need to correct an answer that I gave you earlier. That household survey is in fact conducted by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, not the ABS, and it is a three-year survey. There is a separate survey—excuse me, I am coughing.

Nick Xenophon (SA, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Xenophon interjecting—

Nick Sherry (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Don’t remind me!

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities, Carers and the Voluntary Sector) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No confession time!

Nick Sherry (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, I have made my confessions. There is a separate survey for teenagers, the Australian Secondary Students Alcohol and Drug Survey, conducted by Cancer Council Victoria. That is obviously quite specifically a survey for teenagers. The alcohol and drug survey includes specific material on cigarette smoking.

In terms of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare survey, again, I gave a commitment to speak to the ABS. They are not the organisation, but I will endeavour to ensure that they do incorporate data on the Indigenous community. I am advised that the data collected to date has been too small, but I accept your point and we will see if we can broaden that and make it deeper and more comprehensive in that area.

Nick Xenophon (SA, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the minister. I just want to try and crystallise this issue. In terms of the existing health surveys with respect to smoking—and I thank the minister for his answers in relation to this—is there any proposal to find some extra funding out of this $5½ billion that the government will be raising in the next four years to undertake any further, more forensic surveys so that government policies to help people to quit smoking will be better targeted? There is an enormous amount of revenue. There is a great opportunity here to ensure that we can bring smoking rates down as quickly as possible and also provide assistance to smokers. How will we know whether the program’s $27.8 million is being most effectively spent? I agree with the government’s intent, but how do we know that the implementation will be such that it will make a real difference, as deeply as possible, to reduce smoking rates?

Nick Sherry (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In respect of further and broader research surveys and the gathering of data, it is proposed that the prevention agency—and I understand that that has not yet passed the parliament—will be allocated funds for the purposes of research survey work et cetera. Once that passes the parliament, and we hope it is soon, that agency will be able to develop and continue further survey work in this area.

Bills agreed to.

Bills reported without requests; report adopted.