$61 million anti-tobacco campaign launched to prevent lung cancer

By Dr. Ananya Mandal, MDJan 31 2011

The Australian Federal Government is backing a $61 million advertising campaign to stop smoking. This is the nation’s biggest anti-tobacco campaign. The message is graphic and simple: every cigarette brings cancer closer. Health groups have backed the campaign but advertising industry experts say the public has become increasingly immune to scare campaigns.

According to Minister for Health and Ageing Nicola Roxon, who will be flagging off the campaign, “Smoking kills. It’s as simple as that. This campaign will emphasize the link between a smoker’s cough - an everyday occurrence that is familiar to most smokers - and lung cancer.

The campaign reminds smokers that a cough is the most common symptom of lung cancer.” The advertisement will be screened during prime time television. It shows a father of a young family struggling with a chronic smoker’s cough in everyday scenarios - at work, a barbecue with friends, at home with his wife and children - and ends with a telling, close-up shot of a handkerchief covered in blood. This follows up the previous campaign, “Every cigarette is doing you damage”.

Cancer Council chief executive Ian Olver welcomed the move saying, “We know that the most effective way to drive down the smoking rate is to increase the tax on cigarettes and to combine it with multiple strategies such as restrictions in advertising and strong public health messages.”

However director of Sydney advertising agency IMC, Michael Cahill was not so sure that scare campaigns would work anymore. “I think there is ample evidence when these sorts of ads come on television people switch off and think about other things… The biggest risk is that the message will be ignored,” Mr Cahill said. The Australian Lung Foundation's Chief Executive William Darbishire says he hopes there is a reduction in the rate of teenage smokers. The ads will run across television, print and radio all year.

At present Australian adult smoking rates are at an all-time low of about 17 per cent, down from 34 per cent in 1980, but lung cancer remains one of the leading causes of preventable death and disease killing 15,000 a year. However 21 per cent of 20- to 29-year-olds smoke daily. Yet fewer are taking up the habit. In 2001, 28 per cent in this age group smoked. Health Minister Nicola Roxon said in Australia smoking causes 84 per cent of new lung cancers in men and 77 per cent in woman.

Other antismoking measures from the government include plain packaging for cigarettes that will be introduced this year and further increases in the tobacco excise are expected. Also taxpayers will begin picking up the tab for nicotine patch therapy for wannabe quitters from Tuesday.