Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease also affects hundreds of thousands of Australians.

It limits the quality of life and it results in an earlier death.

Treatments are available, but prevention is far better than cure (which is not available).

Tobacco smoking is not the only cause of this condition, but it is the major one.

If we can prevent our youth from becoming addicted to smoking, then COPD and other common tobacco-related diseases (including lung cancer), will be dramatically reduced in the future.

— DR JAMES MARKOS, Respiratory physician, Launceston.