Tobacco Control in WA

Cancer Council Western Australia is working alongside other leading public health organisations to achieve a future free from the harms of tobacco smoke.

Tobacco smoking is a leading cause of preventable death and disease in Australia.

In WA close to 1,200 people die from smoking-related causes each year.

Western Australia has long been a pioneer in effective tobacco control. This is reinforced by surveys on tobacco use which show WA to be on track to making smoking history. There is a fascinating history underpinning the tobacco control achievements in WA (pdf 53kb). Thankfully, leading WA experts have taken the time to comprehensively record efforts in this field to ensure their knowledge and experience can be shared.

Despite the achievements to date, there is still a lot of work ahead of us if we are really to achieve a future free of tobacco harm.  Efforts need to be ramped up across a number of measures at both state and national levels for progress to be made.

Priorities include:

• Plain packaging (external link for more information) of tobacco products 
• Tighter regulation of tobacco products and the tobacco industry’s marketing practices and tactics
• Fewer retail outlets
• Tobacco industry held to account
• Regular increases in taxes on tobacco
• Expansion of smoke-free spaces
• Intensification of media campaigning
• High quality services and support to quit
  

Please refer to the following publications for more information on tobacco control in WA

• Achievements in tobacco control for WA (external link to Australian Council on Smoking and Health website)
  
• Review of tobacco control legislation in WA (pdf 116kb)
  
• The progress of tobacco control in Western Australia: achievements, challenges and hopes for the future (pdf 2.3mb) (Cancer Council WA publication)
  
• National Preventative Health Strategy – Overview (external link to National Preventative Health Strategy website)
  
• Tobacco Control in Australia - Make Smoking History (external link to National Preventative Health Strategy website) 

Smoking legislation in WA

Due to WA smoking legislation many locations are now smoke free.

Under the Tobacco Products Control Act 2006 smoking is prohibited in all enclosed public places to protect people from exposure to secondhand smoke. Smoking is also prohibited in all outdoor eating areas (restaurants, hotels, cafes and food outlets), in cars carrying children under 17 years of age, within 10 metres of playground equipment and between the flags at patrolled beaches.

If you are concerned about smoking in your community please contact the Environmental Health Officer at your local city council (external link to the WA Local Government Association website).
 
There is much more we can do to protect West Australians from the harms of tobacco smoke, including secondhand smoke.

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