30 May 2006 Media Release
WORLD NO TOBACCO DAY NEVER A BETTER TIME TO QUIT – AVOIDING A MILLION AUSTRALIAN SMOKING DEATHS
World No Tobacco Day is observed around the world every year on May 31. The World Health Organization created World No Tobacco Day in 1987 to draw global attention to the tobacco epidemic and the preventable death and disease it causes. This year’s WHO message is “Tobacco: Deadly in any form or disguise”. The President of the Australian Council on Smoking and Health (ACOSH), Professor Mike Daube said: “There has never been a better time to quit. Millions of smokers have shown it can be done. Australia now has among the lowest smoking rates in the world, with Western Australia leading the nation.” “Giving up smoking is the best thing anyone can do for their health and for those around them.” “Smoking has caused more than 900,000 deaths in Australia since the evidence on its dangers was first published in 1950. The challenge now is to ensure people keep quitting so that we avoid reaching a million Australian deaths from smoking. If we achieve this target it will rank as the nation’s greatest public health success.” “The message to smokers is that World No Tobacco Day is a terrific time to quit. The message to non-smokers on World No Tobacco Day is to use this day as an opportunity to encourage smokers you know and care about to quit.”
ENDS
Comment:
Professor Mike Daube (President) 08 9266 4933 or 0409 933 933 Stephen Hall (Director) 08 9212 4309 or 0408 426 263