Migrants from Greece are leaving behind their smoking habits when coming to Australia. And, with the news of a heavy tax burden, and even talk of a smart-card licence, smokers in Australia are butting out.
Quit Victoria Executive Director Fiona Sharkie told Neos Kosmos “it’s fantastic to see that smoking rates in Victoria have dropped to a record low”.
The decline in smokers comes across all age groups and income groups, however, there is still little evidence on smoking rates among ethnic groups in Australia.
But Quit Victoria has evidence that immigrants coming to the state have chosen to kick the habit. “Research has shown high quitting rates amongst immigrant smokers who move from their home country with higher smoking rates to a place where smoking is not a social norm, such as Australia.
“The 2009 Victorian Population and Health survey found that despite very high smoking rates in their countries of birth, smoking rates in Victorian adults born in Greece and other European countries such as Italy, Croatia or Turkey were not significantly different to those born elsewhere.”
Anti-smoking campaigns in Australia have been ramped up in recent years, especially with the introduction of plain packaging and graphic images of the ill health impact of smoking.
“Tobacco control is like a spring and when you take the pressure off, smoking rates spring up again so it’s important to continue to do the things we know are very effective at driving down smoking rates across the population – keeping the price of cigarettes high, continuing to screen anti-smoking advertisements and expanding smokefree areas,” Ms Sharkie said.