Opinion

A flawed health plan

This week the Federal Government's Preventative Health Taskforce unveiled its recommendations for making Australians healthier, for reducing the terrible impact of, specifically, obesity, smoking and alcohol abuse. And while some of those recommendations are good, many fall short and many opportunities for reform don't get a guernsey.

Among those that hit the mark are: plain packaging for tobacco products; a tax break of up to $500 for parents who enrol children in sport; a tax concession for gym membership; using tax to increase the price of cask wine; and restrictions on the operation and opening hours of venues selling alcohol.

Those that fall short include: increasing the price of a packet of 30 cigarettes from $13 or $14 to a minimum of $20 in three years; banning junk food advertising on television before 9pm; and banning smoking in a public place where "the public, particularly children, are likely to be exposed".

Reform opportunities missed: doubling or trebling the price of cigarettes to create a serious disincentive rather than an inconvenience; banning junk food advertising in all media at all times; banning smoking in public places full stop; imposing a punitive fat and sugar tax; setting a maximum sugar content for fizzy drink well below the current usual of 12 per cent; using tax or legislation to force the alcohol content of mainstream beer down from the current 4.5 per cent to 3.5 per cent; the Federal Government working with state and local government to build comprehensive grids of off-road cycleways through Australia's cities; establishing a national network of dietitian and physical education clinics in communities, reminiscent of the baby clinics in their heyday.

Yes, it all costs money, but so do the diseases of obesity, smoking and alcohol abuse.

What's your plan to make Australians healthier? Or do you think the taskforce has nailed it?

Posted By: Jeff Corbett on 2/09/2009 5:53:00 PM | Comments (17)

Share on
Facebook

Tweet on
Twitter

Email to
a friend

comments

Date: Newest first | Oldest first

Jeff, I think the report has glossed over to many areas. Its all well and good to increase cigerettes up to $20 in the next 3 years, Its a $2 rise a year, Wow, i doubt that will hurt too much. They need to think of the future and with this suposed cluimate change and the needing to lower emmissions, wouldn't the best way to do that and to get people fit and healthy is to encourage them to commute to work or shops by foot or on a bicycle? I thought it was a no brainer. Give people a safe and easy cycle route and it will encourage people out of their cars, out of the McDonalds drive through lanes and on to their bicycle to ride to work. Its quite easy when you look at it.

Posted by Nafe, 3/09/2009 11:08:05 AM, on The Herald

Next to climate change one of the most catastophic element to society is the alcohol consumption of young people today. Thsi must be addressed, the regular binge drinking with this generation is far beyond anything in the past. We have our share of alcohol dependancy in the older generation, but the youth of today are going to outstip all records. Whatever the strategy this must be addressed, obviously measures now used do not work. I believe you need to be at least 21 to buy take away alcohol, and venues for 18 plus must be closed earlier and responsible service enforced. Basically whether you mums and dads out there believe it or not, there is some serious binge drinking, and associated violence, assaults going on.

Posted by Buell, 3/09/2009 11:55:43 AM, on The Herald

I have said in other blogs : we should use the tax system to achieve 'user pays' cost recovery for various social phenomena. Tax cigarettes to fully recover the cost of smoking. That way, smokers pay. I don't smoke - why should I hand over part of my income to pay their health costs? Tax greasy fast foods (that contain certain percentages of fat) similarly. Tax alcohol similarly, and equitably. Why tax alcopops, but leave cleanskin wine at $2 a bottle? Smokers already pay a surcharge on many health and life premiums ~ why not make all of us pay our own way? I'm happy to pay my way 100%. I'll pay the full cost - to myself and society - for the fuel I use, the booze I drink, the food I eat, the clothes I wear. And so should others. If we can't afford it, we'll adjust our choices accordingly. Again - why should I hand over hard earned cash to the taxman to pay for the self inflicted (and very expensive) health problems of smokers? And, on the flipside - why should smokers pay for and self inflicted health problems I have as a result of the copious quantities of single malt scotch I guzzle? Beats me.

Posted by Abundance, 3/09/2009 12:44:45 PM, on The Herald

Suzhousid ,we enjoyed your tales of China. With Yancheng being on the mighty Yangtze river is farming important in the district ? Do they have large areas of crops irrigated from the river ? Are livestock grazed on pastures or are they raised under intensive management? How do the Chinese manage smoking, cancer,alcohol and obesity?

Posted by chaff and oats, 3/09/2009 12:59:51 PM, on The Herald

There is nothing as nauseating as the righteousness of the reformed.

Posted by moron, 3/09/2009 1:16:27 PM, on The Herald

Why all this fuss and bother about tax? Just scrap medicare, and make everybody pay the FULL cost of health cover - either directly or via risk-assessed insurance cover. That way tubbies who can't lay off the McHappy meals can pay through the nose, and those of us who eat fruit & vegetables more than once a month can keep our shekels to ourselves. Put in some sort of safety net for the genuinely (ie: not through their own lack of effort & application) impoverished, bet everyone of sound body & mind should pay.

Posted by Scott Hillard, 3/09/2009 1:47:43 PM, on The Herald

i think its time everyone started taking resposibility for their own actions. why do we always cry out for the government to fix everything for us. it wont make much difference if cigarettes cost more,because people with addictions find the money some how (look at the gaols full of people stealing etc to fund drug habits.)make them expensive enough and you will create a black market. instead of laying the boot into people with addictive habits by making it more expensive why not offer them resources to break them. subsidised patches or similar for smokers, gym memberships for unfit people, access to mental health experts for people who drive black BMWs or land cruisers.

Posted by catl, 3/09/2009 3:02:33 PM, on The Herald

ni hao, (hello) chaff and oats,....firstly, my heartfelt condolences for the loss of your son, I too, have lost loved ones to cancer and I empathise, it is a 'bugger' of a disease...now on to China. I really can't tell you too much about the farming system that is used here as I don't get out to the countryside all that often, however, the Yangtse is called the 'mother' it is the lifeblood of china. I have heard of some funny stories about chicken farming, as far as I know they are all free range and I have seen photo's of chicken cowboys on horseback, it is a humorous photo. The land around the Yangtse is very rich, furtile land, the farming seems to done on a community based thing where co operatives are the order of the day, there is not a lot of beef or dairy grazing where I am, I would imagine that, that would be further west, Pig farming is big business here, as the Chinese have a love affair with pork, can't get enough of it, the Pork is of an excellent quality. I never used to eat it in Australia, I eat it often now, it really is that good.There isn't a lot of obesity here, it is the food that is eaten,.. cancer? I don't know the figures on that, but I can find out.

Posted by suzhousid, 3/09/2009 3:04:00 PM, on The Herald

ni hao again, chaff and oats, the smoking in China is like it used to be in Australia 30 -40 years, you can smoke just about any where, a lot of people smoke, the younger don't though they seem to avoid the habit. I smoke, so for me it is OK. The diet of the Chinese people doesn't lean towards getting fat, a lot of veges and small amounts of meat, however, most things that can be eaten will be eaten, there is a chinese saying...."anything on 4 legs that isn't a table will be eaten, anything that flies and isn't a plane will be eaten". Alcohol isn't a problem here, or so it seems, I haven't seen too many drunk Chinese at all. It isn't part of the culture, however, when you do spot a drunken Chinese person, it truly is funny. There is a drink made from rice..it is called 'Beijio' it is rocket fuel, it is often offered at dinner when they have special guests.. like a foreigner for instance...trust me it could strip paint...I like it! the beer here is not very strong, the alcohol content maybe 4% a lot of beer is less than that. If a person wishes to drink imported beer eg; heineken, carlberg, vb, you will pay about 25 - 30 yuan a bottle..the local brew 2.50 yuan, go figure!

Posted by suzhousid, 3/09/2009 3:42:01 PM, on The Herald

I bet there will be no fully lit cycle/walk path along the length of the Hunter Expressway as was built along the M7 in Sydney.

Posted by tina, 3/09/2009 4:18:59 PM, on The Herald

1 | 2 | next >