The Heart Foundation has welcomed the passing of reforms in the NSW Parliament designed to clamp down on the sale of illegal tobacco.
Heart Foundation General Manager NSW Simon Cowie welcomed the reforms and said the Government was to be commended for its efforts to decrease tobacco usage.
“The Heart Foundation supports the NSW Government’s commitment to enforcing stronger controls around the sale of tobacco in this state,” Mr Cowie said.
“We need to be very clear: any form of tobacco smoke is deadly. Illegal tobacco simply makes this deadly product more accessible, making it harder for people to avoid taking up, or giving up, this deadly habit.
“We know that tobacco smoke is one of the leading risk factors of cardiovascular disease, with more than 6,500 deaths in NSW caused by smoking in 2021.”
Mr Cowie said the legislation would bring NSW in line with other jurisdictions, with similar legislation already in place in across Australia.
The Heart Foundation continues to advocate strongly for investment in effective campaigns across both national and state levels that will educate all Australians about the dangers of tobacco smoke.
