Prominent Western Australian politician, Dr Janet Woollard, has welcomed the release of draft legislation to impose plain packaging on tobacco products.

The Independent Liberal Member of the WA Legislative Assembly has also endorsed calls by the nation’s respiratory doctors for people to lobby their Federal Members of Parliament in support of the legislation.

Dr Woollard was a guest speaker at the annual scientific meeting of the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand in Perth this week. A leading smoking prevention advocate, she talked about the journey from lobbying to law in anti-smoking legislation.

“The plain packaging legislation outlined by the Federal Health Minister, Nicola Roxon, is wonderful news,” she said.

“Australia has led the way in reform to discourage tobacco smoking, and this latest announcement will encourage other countries around the world to follow.

“We know the tobacco industry will fight the move towards plain packaging, so I urge members of the public to contact their Federal MPs stating their support for the legislation. This is a battle we must win, and the power of public support will ensure we succeed in this most important public health initiative.”

The Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand, the peak professional body for physicians, scientists and other health care professionals involved in respiratory health, is motivating a national groundswell of support for plain packaging.

“The tobacco industry has mounted a huge resistance campaign to the legislation with unfounded statements that plain packaging will not work,” the Thoracic Society’s President, Professor Paul Reynolds, said.

“However, we speak on behalf of the one in four Australian families affected by respiratory disease and we urge them all to get behind the move towards plain packaging.

“In the interests of public health and social well-being for current and future generations, we want Australians to let the Government know they support the pathfinding legislation to develop a more smoke-free society. The opportunity must not be lost.

“Plain packaging will seriously erode the tobacco industry’s multi-million dollar strategies to target young and susceptible Australians with marketing campaigns that try to portray cigarette smoking as sexy and desirable.

“Instead, we want Australians to stand up and shout that smoking is simply a deadly habit and the tobacco industry’s self-serving campaign should be vehemently rejected.”