Lung foundation calls for supermarkets to be | Australian Markets

Supermarkets ought to be banned from promoting cigarettes, the Lung Foundation of Australia says.

The foundation has floated the ban as a means to stop people who smoke being tempted to buy a pack or a pouch alongside their groceries.

“We need everyone from government to big corporations to put the lung health of Australians ahead of profits from a product that kills 66 Australians daily,” foundation chief government Mark Brooke stated.

“Previous news reports have highlighted Coles estimates their cigarette sales each year is enough to kill more than 1600 Australians and cause tobacco-related medical costs of more than $300m a year.”

Former smoker Sarah Waters has joined the marketing campaign for cigarettes to be banned from supermarkets.

Ms Waters began smoking aged 13, and continued for practically 30 years.

“It isn’t easy to quit but not being able to buy cigarettes so easily would have made a big difference. When I started smoking there was no age limits in place, and they were marketed to young people as being cool.”

Prince Charles Hospital thoracic doctor Henry Marshall stated nicotine is as addictive as heroin.

“The difference is you can’t buy heroin with your weekly shopping.”

“It is hard to fight an addiction while also being able to buy tobacco products so easily.”

Professor Marshall has thrown his voice behind the lung foundation’s calls for a ban.

“People who smoke deserve more help from health professionals and the government,” he stated.

“I would like to see people demand action from the multinational tobacco companies who have known smoking causes lung cancer since before 1954 and continued to sell products to make profit off Australians. It is time we said, ‘enough is enough’.”

The Lung Foundation is asking for the federal government to ban supermarkets from promoting tobacco merchandise.

In response, Coles stated in a assertion it’s offering people who smoke with a legal approach to acquire tobacco.

“Coles complies with all Commonwealth, State and Territory laws aimed at minimising the negative health effects of tobacco use, however we recognise the need to provide choice to those customers who wish to purchase these products legally,” a spokesperson advised NewsWire.

Woolworths has been approached for remark.

Earlier this 12 months, IGA reported it had misplaced $150m of income over three years, as tobacco black market gross sales skyrocketed throughout the nation.

Australians have comprehensively turned to the black market for cigarettes and tobacco, because the tax on legal smokes turns into unaffordable.

The taxes the federal authorities takes from tobacco have plummeted from $16.3bn 5 years in the past, to $7.4bn this 12 months.

Smoking charges have fallen from 20 per cent of the population in 2001, to about 8 per cent now, the latest authorities knowledge reveals.