Intouch Public Health

Raglan Maddox and Michelle Kennedy

The commercial Tobacco Industry continues to profit off addiction, disease, and death, perpetuating health inequities. For over 70 years, we have known that when used as directed, commercial tobacco products kill.

Australia has been a leader in tobacco control through plain packaging, tax reforms, and the Tackling Indigenous Smoking program.

Yet, the fight is far from over, and the focus must now shift from control to active resistance.

Recent reforms in tobacco and vaping product regulations, licensing, and discussions around a nicotine-free generation reaffirm Australia’s commitment to health and equity. These efforts align with the Public Health Association of Australia’s (PHAA) mission to enhance health outcomes and drive systemic change.

However, these achievements are only the beginning of the resistance needed to eradicate the harms caused by the Tobacco Industry and their collaborators.

Public health professionals can lead efforts to dismantle the Tobacco Industry through developing equitable policies and cessation strategies, and taking collective action.

The time to act decisively is now, to resist and end the harms caused by commercial tobacco.

The case for eradication

Globally, commercial tobacco use causes 8 million deaths each year, including 20,000 in Australia – accounting for 37% of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander deaths.

Vaping has also emerged as a growing challenge posing new risks and causing harm, particularly to young Australians and people who do not smoke.

Health equity, a fundamental human right, demands systemic change. The Tobacco Industry’s actions have disproportionately harmed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities, making tobacco eradication an ethical and moral imperative.

Australia’s reforms, including tobacco and vaping regulations, and jurisdictional licensing requirements, demonstrate how decisive action can help uphold the human right to health.

Discussions on nicotine-free generation policies further highlight Australia’s potential to set the precedent in preventing harms now, and for generations to come.

From commercial tobacco control to commercial tobacco resistance

Australia’s tobacco control achievements are a step towards actively resisting the harms perpetuated by the commercial Tobacco Industry and their collaborators.

Plain packaging laws, state and territory licensing reforms, health promotion campaigns, and the Tackling Indigenous Smoking program have reduced smoking prevalence, challenged the industry’s tactics, and inspired international adoption and resistance efforts.

Similarly, Australia’s strong action to restrict access to vaping products through pharmacies positions Australia as a world-leader in vaping control, stopping the next generation from becoming addicted to nicotine.

But these are not just control measures. They are critical steps in dismantling the Tobacco Industry, eradicating nicotine addiction, and positioning Australia as an international leader in commercial tobacco resistance.

Supporting people to quit

Most people who smoke want to quit. That’s why accessible and culturally safe cessation supports are essential.

The National Tobacco Strategy, which aims to reduce smoking prevalence below 27% for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and 5% overall, highlights the need for and importance of tailored approaches and community-led initiatives.

This includes acknowledging what’s working. For example, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are accessing evidence-based supports like nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) in their quit attempts, and mailout cessation supports (like the Which Way Quit Pack) have proven helpful. Scaling up such initiatives can increase successful quit attempts.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership is also vital to ensure that cessation programs are culturally safe and tailored to specific needs. The upcoming National Lung Cancer Screening Program, starting in July 2025, offers an opportunity to embed cessation supports into preventive care, enhancing quitting success.

Countering Tobacco Industry tactics

The Tobacco Industry employs tactics to deflect accountability, including lobbying against reforms; spreading misinformation and disinformation; and using marketing and promotion tactics to build and sustain a dependent customer base, including youth and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations.

Public health must strengthen regulatory frameworks, and use platforms like PHAA and the Oceania Tobacco Control Conference, to amplify collective resistance through shared knowledges and experiences. Eradicating tobacco harms and preventable death is a shared responsibility, that requires active resistance and a commitment to equity to uphold the human right to health.

A vision for eradication in Australia

Eradicating commercial tobacco addiction, disease, and death demands bold, sustained resistance and action. From the federal and state governments, we want to see:

• Sustained investment: Fund ongoing prevention and cessation programs.
• Licensing reforms: Reduce and phase out retail access to tobacco and non-approved nicotine products.
• Stricter nicotine regulations: Mandate non-addictive nicotine levels.
• Nicotine-free generations: Protect young people, people who do not smoke, and future generations from nicotine addiction and its associated harms, disease and preventable death.

Collaborative, Indigenous-led solutions ensure cultural safety, address disparities, and improve outcomes for all Australians. These efforts align with PHAA’s mission to improve the health and wellbeing of everyone in Australia, leaving no one behind.

PHAA and its members are uniquely positioned to help resist and dismantle the Tobacco Industry, eradicating commercial tobacco-related disease and death. By leveraging recent successes in reforms, licensing, and the ongoing discussions around a nicotine-free generation, the public health community can inspire systemic change locally and globally.

With sustained leadership, Australia can create a nicotine-free future.

Image (L to R): Shane Kawenata Bradbrook, Tom Calma, and Shannon Best at the Oceania Tobacco Control Conference. Background: The Kilung Morunbul Jum (Death by Smoke) statue. By Claudine Thornton Creative.

Click here to read the article “Eradication of commercial tobacco related disease and death,” authored by Raglan Maddox, Rohan Tedford, Abbey Diaz, Shane Bradbrook, Tom Calma, and Lisa Whop.