Australian Government Launches Nationwide Anti-Smoking and E-Cigarette Campaign

Jun.11.2024
Australian Government Launches Nationwide Anti-Smoking and E-Cigarette Campaign
Australia's Health Minister announced a $63.4 million campaign to raise awareness about smoking and e-cigarette risks.

According to a report by Capitalfm on June 10th, Australian Health Minister Mark Butler announced on Monday, June 10th, that $63.4 million Australian dollars (approximately $41.7 million USD) will be invested in advertising funds to increase public awareness of the dangers of smoking and using e-cigarettes.


This advertising campaign is the first time the Australian federal government has used public advertising to promote the risks and harms of using e-cigarettes, and it is also the first national anti-smoking advertising campaign in nearly a decade. The campaign will be conducted on television, radio, and social media. Of note, this campaign is the first to utilize the social media platform TikTok for advertising.


According to the "2022-2023 National Drug Strategy Household Survey" released in February, 21% of 18 to 24-year-old Australians and 9.7% of teenagers aged 14 to 17 have used e-cigarettes in the past 12 months. These figures are higher than the rates of 5.3% and 1.8% in 2019, respectively.


In March of this year, Butler submitted legislation to Parliament aimed at banning the production, advertising, supply, and commercial possession of e-cigarettes in Australia that are not proven to have therapeutic effects and are disposable. In January of this year, the government had already banned the importation of disposable e-cigarettes.


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