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Labor promises new anti-smoking campaign

Some of the money would go toward providing more support for lung cancer sufferers.

Some of the money would go toward providing more support for lung cancer sufferers. Photo: Getty

Australian smokers would be targeted with a fresh campaign encouraging them to do away with the habit, under a federal Labor government.

The Opposition has revealed a $63.4 million plan to cut the smoking rate in Australia, in an effort to reduce cancer cases across the nation, if it wins the upcoming election.

Some of the money would also go toward providing more support for Australians with lung cancer.

The commitment comes as tobacco smoking remains the leading preventable cause of death in Australia and the leading cause of cancer, with about 12,470 people diagnosed with the disease in 2018.

About 12.2 per cent of Australians smoke daily, with the rate plateauing between 2013 and 2016.

Labor leader Bill Shorten says the stagnation is the result of the coalition failing to invest in further driving down the rate.

The opposition wants to spend $40 million over four years rebooting an anti-smoking campaign, in hopes of pushing the smoking rate below 10 per cent.

To improve care for people with lung cancer, it would spend $15 million on helping the Lung Foundation rollout an extra 20 lung cancer nurses nationally. There are currently only seven.

The foundation would also receive $2.4 million over three years to roll out a campaign raising awareness of the symptoms of lung cancer, to help people seek support earlier.

Labor would provide $6 million over three years to an organisation that aims to eliminate tobacco from investment portfolios.

The money would come from a $2.3 billion fund that Mr Shorten proposed in his budget reply speech, to improve cancer treatment and services.

Cancer Council Australia said Labor’s plan represents the most significant investment in anti-smoking measures in nearly a decade.

“Reminding smokers of the harms they are doing to their health with a renewed national tobacco campaign will back up the excise regime and could get drops in smoking prevalence back on track,” Cancer Council CEO Sanchia Aranda said.

Labor’s commitment comes after Health Minister Greg Hunt in February said the coalition would spend $4 million supporting a national strategic action plan for chronic lung conditions, including lung cancer.

Mr Hunt also revealed at the time a drug that could be used to treat some lung cancers would be subsidised, through a listing on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.

-AAP

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