Australian Medical Association state president Stuart Day welcomed the Healthy Tasmania five-year strategic plan but questioned the state’s ability to become the nation’s healthiest by 2025.
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Dr Day, who said he had not yet thoroughly analysed the plan due to attending the Tasmanian Health Conference on Saturday, commended smoking prevention initiatives.
Health Minister Michael Ferguson said $1.2 million would be invested in smoking control, education and targeted interventions over four years as part of the government’s “bold plan”.
“Our target is to see the gap between state and national youth smoking rates halved, for under 25s, by 2020 and reducing the rates to below the national average by 2025,” Mr Ferguson said.
He said the government would triple the cost of the Tobacco Seller’s Licence fee and focus on further anti-smoking advertising.
Dr Day said he would consider one Tasmanian quitting smoking a success but acknowledged the task was much larger.
Mr Ferguson said the government would continue to try to turn Tasmania into Australia’s healthiest state by 2025.
Dr Day said the target could be unachievable.
The government outlined 24 actions in the preventative health strategy.
They will put $3.5 million towards supporting and incentivising Tasmanians to make positive health changes.
The government recently announced they would not pursue plans to raise Tasmania’s smoking age to 21 or 25.
Labor Health spokesperson Rebecca White said the strategy had taken “too long”, and that smoking rates in Tasmania required action.
"We need to have a constructive tripartisan approach to how we address tobacco in this state,” Ms White said.
Greens Health spokesperson Rosalie Woodruff said the government’s plan to have the healthiest state was “weak, toothless and myopic”.
“$6.4 million over five years into his strategic health plan is a pittance,” Ms Woodruff said.
“Minister Ferguson’s plan to spend just $240,000 a year on smoking education is nowhere near enough,” she said.