Families relate to Quit campaign

The new anti-smoking TV ads that urge smokers to think of the impact on their families has provoked double the number of calls to Quitline.

‘The emotional ads—which began in early August—generated more than 770 calls to Quitline Victoria in its first two days,’ said Health Minister John Thwaites.

‘By comparison, the shock tactics used in the 1997 National Tobacco Campaign Every Cigarette is Doing you Damage generated 425 calls in the first two days.’

One third of parents in Victoria are smokers and every day one young Victorian loses a parent to a disease caused by smoking.

Mr Thwaites said the initial response to the campaign—which would run for the next year with radio ads to be broadcast this month—was encouraging with a 125 per cent increase in the number of calls from smokers wanting to quit or ex-smokers who needed help to ‘stay quit.’

‘The number of calls being received by Quit Victoria is still more than double the number received before the campaign began with 82 per cent of callers being encouraged by the ads.’

Among ex-smokers, 62 per cent said the ads made them more likely to ‘stay quit.’

In the first week of the campaign, Quit Victoria received 1,668 calls.

Of all calls made to the Quitline in Australia, two-thirds originated from Victoria.

One parent who called the Quitline said the ad was a major factor in his decision to quit.

‘I have been trying to motivate myself to quit for some time now, always managing to put off (for myriad reasons) setting a stop date.

‘As a father of two small children your current message struck a chord immediately and as a result I have stopped smoking as of today,’ the caller said.

‘As children were twice as likely to take up the deadly habit if their parents smoked, helping parents to ‘stay quit’ was a high priority to reduce tobacco harm,’ Mr Thwaites said

The smooth introduction of smoke-free dining in Victoria was also helping people to stay quit.

From November 1, it will also be mandatory for all enclosed shopping centres in Victoria to be smoke-free.