The Tasmanian Government wants to raise the legal age for smoking to 21 or 25. Many businessmen and doctors are opposed to this because it will not help reduce the number of smokers as how the government wants it.
The state government of Tasmania wants to become the healthiest state in Australia by 2025, therefore coming up with the idea. 9News said Tasmanian Health Minister Michael Ferguson stated there would be major health benefits for the public and savings for the health system if the rate would be reduced. He added that studies show smokers start before they turn 25 so raising the legal age would help.
However, according to The Sydney Morning Herald, the president of The Australian Medical Association, Professor Brian Owle said, studies show that it is not particularly effective to prohibit young people from smoking because there are many underage teens that can still access tobacco. He further explain that it is more effective to put health warnings and other health messages on movies and television shows, plus regulating the sale of e-cigarette to the youth would lessen it more.
Moreover, the Tasmanian Small Business Council depicts the plan as unworkable. ABC News stated the executive director said the proposal was such a burden to businesses. Mr. Robert Mallett also said educational programs were more tolerable to a framework that puts the weight on the seller. He added that tobacco products are very much legal, many small businesses depend the large part of their income on them especially at the rural and remote areas. He also said that it was the last thing they wanted to do, stop regional areas from having some first-rate businesses just for some idiotic plan like this.
Maurice Swanson, president of the Australian Council on Smoking and Health said it would make much more difference in the current situation if the government could guarantee no retailer would sell tobacco to a child. The Rural Health Minister of Australia also believes increasing the legal age would stop people under the age of 21 from smoking. The discussion about this law is open until February 19.
