A unique insight into the varying opinions surrounding the Australian government’s anti-smoking initiatives from our locals.

This interview was conducted by Hannah Kenny

“COME to where the flavour is. Come to Marlboro country.”

How perplexing it is to reflect upon the glorified cigarette advertisements from the 60s, an era when GPs, due to a lack of understanding surrounding the permanently harmful side effects of inhaling tobacco, encouraged patients to smoke. Advertisements of doctors promoting a product that we now know kills, evoked a sense of societal acceptance; historical tokens that indicated the fragmented nature of pre-modern medicine.          

These images shifted in the 1970s when restrictions on the advertising of tobacco products in Australia were first introduced. Hindering the growth of tobacco marketing by banning direct advertising in print and broadcast media has cultivated many anti-smoking government initiatives including; the plain packaging of cigarettes, the increased tax on cigarette purchases and in most recent times, the mandatory smoking buffers within the hospitality sector.          

With such campaigns currently in force, unalike members of the Geelong community express their outlooks. Perspectives from a nurse, a smoker, a waitress and a hypnotherapist unveil a common link that unites them all; they argue the government is still not doing enough to protect the region from the grim spectre of the tobacco industry.     

Geelong hospital nurse and proud non-smoker, Laura Stepancic, believes the government’s role in increasing the taxation on cigarettes is a positive change, but maintains there is always room for improvement. “I believe the plain packaging of cigarettes as well as the heavy taxes has been a great step in the right direction. Until the mortality and morbidity rates of smoking related illnesses and diseases decreases, then there’s always more that can be done from various levels of government,” Stepancic says.   

Though data from the Department of Health proposes that each year smoking kills an estimated 15,000 people, young Geelong smokers like Nicholas don’t resist buying a pack because of the graphic images and exorbitant price tags. “People know the risks regardless of the packaging. The tax has now seen an increase in illegal tobacco sales,” Nicholas says. With a calculated sneer of sarcasm, Nicholas adds “I guess the government can waste more resources and money on trying to stop that.” 

Cancer Council Victoria opposes this theory, drawing from research to prove that plain packaging will “reduce the appeal of smoking to teenagers and adults, make health warning messages on packs more prominent and stop smokers incorrectly believing that some brands of cigarettes are less harmful than others.” However, in a 2016 report by Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler (KPMG), it is estimated that 13.9 per cent of tobacco use in Australia is derived from illegal cigarettes and no-name loose leaf tobacco, otherwise referred to as ‘chop chop.’

In a 2012 article published in The Sydney Morning Herald, it was found that the federal government spent “$24 million on anti-smoking efforts with the aim of cutting the national smoking rate to 10 per cent of the population by 2018.” On August 1st, cafes and restaurants introduced four metre ‘buffers’ to shield diners from inhaling second hand smoke from smoking patrons. Stepancic is thrilled about this new law, proposing that such a change will benefit the health of the wider community. “Secondhand smoke contains thousands of chemicals that are unfortunately breathed in by people closely near those who are smoking. Health implications include exacerbation of asthma, respiratory infections, an increase in the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and can lead to coronary heart disease, stroke and cancer,” Stepancic says.

Despite the obvious health benefits of such a separation, it hasn’t been all great for restauranteurs, as many hospitality employees have noted a drop off in patrons. Cate King, a waitress at a café on Geelong’s waterfront, has noticed the absence of some familiar faces. “The café used to have many groups of smokers who would regularly come and sit for hours out the front smoking and drinking coffee, many of whom don’t come anymore. There definitely has been a decrease in the number of people coming to the café, mainly in the younger age groups,” King says.  

A smoker herself, King believes the government isn’t implementing practical changes.

“I do believe the laws go a bit far though. Many smokers are considerate enough to move away from non-smokers when smoking. Now I have to stand out by a dumpster if I want a cigarette,”

King says.    

Fortunately, there are activists in the local community who wish to help smokers quit their deadly habit without the aid of any government initiatives. Karen Holt, a clinical hypnotherapist and counsellor in her 11th year of practice, specialises in assisting clients break the emotional cycle of attachment that is formed when smoking. “They think it calms them down. They’ve got this perception that if they go out and have a cigarette, it actually breaks the routine for them, and they seem calmer afterwards. What they aren’t realising is that it isn’t the cigarette that’s calming them down, in fact that makes them more intense. What actually calms them down is that when they inhale, they take in more oxygen and it is the oxygen that circulates through the body and calms down the nervous system. It’s basically about changing the mindset,” Holt says.

Holt believes the longstanding stigma attached to the practice of hypnosis may deter people from organising a consultation. “I can usually get people to stop smoking in either 1 or 2 sessions. There’s generally an understood success rate and it has been statistically proven of about 86 per cent, I think it is, for hypnotherapy to be the most successful form to get rid of smoking. It’s even higher in other elements like anxiety or sleep disorders. It’s fairly successful,” Holt says.

Through her comprehensive analysis of clients at work, Holt questions the success outcomes of some government initiatives. “I really don’t think the plain packaging has influenced peoples behaviours at all in that regard. They’re oblivious to it because they don’t want to know. It really hasn’t made any difference,” Holt says.  

“I think the government could actually do a lot more.”

This interview was conducted by Hannah Kenny (a student studying Journalism) and shows great insight into conflicting views on Smoking, this perspective is from people who enjoy smoking and that of professionals working with the effects of smoking.

Karen Holt
Clinical Hypnotherapist
AMAHS, MASCH, NFH

Secondary sources (in order of use):

‘Come to Marlboro country’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQmpqvoEpws

20,679 Physicians say “Luckies are less irritating”
http://tobacco.stanford.edu/tobacco_main/images/gallery2.jpg

Tobacco in Australia; Facts and Issues
http://www.tobaccoinaustralia.org.au/chapter-11-advertising/11-3-commonwealth-legislation

The Department of Health
Tobacco Control key facts and figures
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/content/tobacco-kff#footnotes+

Cancer Council Victoria
Myths and facts
http://www.cancervic.org.au/plainfacts/browse.asp?ContainerID=plainfacts-myths

KPMG
Illicit tobacco in Australia 2016
https://home.kpmg.com/uk/en/home/insights/2017/04/illicit-tobacco-in-australia-2016.html

Govt advertising campaign outlay jumps 20pc to $200m
The Sydney Morning Herald
http://www.smh.com.au/national/govt-advertising-campaign-outlay-jumps-20pc-to-200m-20120930-26tx4.html