Tobacco Control in the Asia-Pacific
QUT Faculty of Law Intellectual Property and Innovation Law Research Program
Thursday, 19 September 2019
5:30pm to 7:30pm
Z1064, Gibson Room, Level 10, Z Block
QUT Gardens Point Campus
Protecting public health: How the tobacco industry continues its death march in the Asia-Pacific
Dr Becky Freeman, the University of Sydney
Abstract
It is tempting to believe that smoking is no longer a ‘real’ problem in Australia. Very few teenagers smoke anymore, public areas are largely smoke-free, and cigarettes are sold out of sight and in packages adorned only with diseased body parts and the most unappealing shade of green/brown. But, this belies a much bigger story where tobacco continues to rob vulnerable families and communities of decades of life. Tobacco is still sold on virtually every street corner, in every suburb, of every city, – even in the remotest of communities – all over Australia. Looking outwards, the Asia-Pacific region remains a haven for the tobacco industry, where cigarettes are heavily promoted, freely available, inexpensive, and viewed as socially acceptable and completely normal.
In response to its tainted reputation and the increasingly heavy hand of government regulation, the tobacco industry has attempted to recast itself as a partner in public health. These efforts are designed to weaken the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control [FCTC] and drive a wedge in the highly effective alliance of public health stakeholders. The emergence of new tobacco products and ever creative ways of exploiting loopholes in existing tobacco advertising laws, requires vigilant monitoring and policy action to prevent a new generation of tobacco industry victims. Social media, paired with novel nicotine delivery devices, has created a whole new path to reaching young people – a path governments are struggling to understand, let alone regulate. A commitment to strengthening the implementation of the WHO FCTC is critical in an era of globally accessible media and a tobacco industry unwilling to play fair.
Biography
Dr Becky Freeman is Senior Lecturer with the Prevention Research Collaboration at the School of Public Health, University of Sydney. Her primary research interests include tobacco control, food advertising, and how online and social media influence public health. She is an established authority on the potential of the Internet to circumvent tobacco advertising bans.
She has prepared technical reports for the World Health Organization outlining how to monitor and regulate tobacco industry advertising and interference in tobacco control policy. Prior to pursuing her research interests in Australia, Becky worked for both government and not for profit organisations in Canada and New Zealand. All her research papers are available from [ Ссылка ] and you can follow her on Twitter @DrBFreeman
