24 health advocacy groups and a state government health agency are joining forces in a bid to effectively eliminate smoking in less than a decade. The Quit Victoria-led campaign aims to reduce the daily smoking rate to 5 per cent by 2025.
730,000 Victorians are smokers and Quit Victoria says their collective habit costs the state 3.8 billion dollars a year.
It wants a renewed focus on reducing smoking to get the rate down from 13.7 per cent to 5 per cent in 2025.
Quit Victoria Director Doctor Sarah White says one loophole that should be closed is allowing patrons to smoke in outdoor drinking areas in pubs and clubs.
One of the 24 organisations involved in the campaign is Thorne Harbour Health, formerly known as the Victorian AIDS Council.
Acting CEO Johann Ruth says smoking rates in LGBTIQ-plus (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex) communities are as much as three times higher than those of the general population.
She says there's awareness of the dangers of smoking but says Victoria is lacking tailored campaigns to help those people to quit.
The Heart Foundation says one of the best ways to reduce the risk of heart disease and other chronic illnesses is to quit cigarettes.
Chief Executive Kellie-Ann Jolly says it's an especially important message for Indigenous Australians.
