Media Alert Tuesday October 26, 2010
Preventive Health Agency would strengthen tobacco
fight
Quit Executive Director Fiona Sharkie said the terrible toll Australia’s leading preventable cause
of death is taking could be lessened by the formation of a National Preventive Health Agency to
co-ordinate a countrywide approach to tackling smoking.
“It’s vital we get a preventative approach to health on the agenda, and creating an independent
agency such as the National Preventive Health Agency does this.”
The bill is scheduled for debate in the House of Representatives today.
“We’ve already seen the government commit to life-saving measures in the field of tobacco
control in the form of a tax increase and plain packaging. A national agency can further build on
that, especially by co-ordinating targeted anti-smoking ad campaigns to strengthen the anti-
smoking message.”
“We have been winning the war on smoking but there is much left to do. 15 thousand people
still die every year because of tobacco. The sooner this agency is formed, the sooner we’ll have
more resources to save even more lives.”
Fiona Sharkie is in Canberra today and will be attending Health Minister
Nicola Roxon’s press conference at Parliament House at 12pm.
Please call Jessica Longbottom on 0438 714 264 to arrange an interview
before or after this time.
NEWS 
