Tobacco smoking remains the leading preventable cause of death and disease in Australia. Smoking leads to a wide range of diseases including many types of cancer, heart disease and stroke, chest and lung illnesses and stomach ulcers. It claims the lives of 15,500 Australians every year.
Reducing smoking-related death and illness is a priority of Cancer Council Australia. Its Tobacco Issues Committee has developed a number of position statements, some of which are aimed at helping individuals reduce smoking-related health risk and others of which support Cancer Council’s key tobacco-related advocacy priorities.
Members of the Tobacco Issues Committee include representatives of the National Heart Foundation of Australia, Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) Australia, the Australian Council on Smoking and Health (ACOSH), Quit organisations, and the VicHealth Centre for Tobacco Control, as well as Cancer Councils around Australia.