NT wins Dirty Ashtray again
The Northern Territory won the Dirty Ashtray Award for its government’s bad performance in fighting with smoking.
The Australian Medical Association (AMA) and the Australian Council on Smoking and Health marked the territory as the worst executor for the second year in a row, creating a special Golden Ashtray Award for its permanently low achievement.
AMA president Dr Mukesh Haikerwal stated the NT continued to take no action in some of the most important fields of tobacco control.
Smoking was still permitted in inner public places and in staff locations on school campuses, and minimal funding were provided for public education, he said.
"It is no surprise that the NT prevails in the level of smoking in Australia, it is the highest here" he informed.
"Its failure to act is all the more lamentable given the high levels of smoking in native people.
"This government is aborting on one of the most principal aspects of health protection."
On the contrary Western Australia was adjudged to be the best performer while Queensland came second and Victoria third, then NSW, Tasmania, SA and ACT follow.
