For most, the first day of spring represents a breath of fresh vernal air. But for others the September 1 date represented the continued escalation and hounding by government’s over their small, albeit harmful, pleasure. The date represented the first of the 12.5 per cent price hikes on tobacco which, with four instalments, will make Australian cigarettes among the most expensive in the world.
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As always this is of particular relevance for this region which has a high smoking rate, close to one in five, and in particular because it is in the lower socio-economic pockets that Ballarat also has some of its poorest health. And smoking is almost certainly a key factor in poor health outcomes.
Quit Victoria is unequivocal in their justification of the price increase as producing better health outcomes. They maintain smokers want to quit and the price rise will represent a final straw for many motivating them to make a serious quit attempt.
It argues price is the single most effective means of reducing death and disease from smoking and is particulalrly effective at stopping young people starting. But data released this year suggests gaps in health outcomes between low and high income people are not improving, specifically to lung cancer. Along with smoking rates among the poor and the long history of high prices it indicates price alone has not encouraged quit attempts among smokers who are socioeconomically disadvantaged.
The May report came to some conclusions about the historical differences, the more restricted work environments where smoking is banned compared to people in the lower socio-economic jobs doing more outdoor work or even unemployed who were able to continue smoking. But one of the biggest factors in the difference in smoking rates between rich and poor may have other causes including better access to effective resources for quitting smoking.
While no doubt there are other contributors to these poor health outcomes among the poor, what is anecdotally apparent is those on the very bottom of the social order may not consider their health a priority but will give up other things including food in order to maintain their succour in nictone. The correlation between homelessness and mental health, and the number of these addicted to tobacco is just one example of how the price increase fails as a disincentive and simply inflicts more harm. The increased tax revenue should target intervention and help specific to these urgent areas.
