Government proposal would see junk food ads banned before 9pm
September 02, 2009 12:00am
JUNK food ads would be banned until after 9pm and new health labels required on packaged food under a blueprint to make Australia the world's healthiest nation.
The price of alcohol, cigarettes and even chips and chocolate would rise under the plan.
In addition, Kevin Rudd's hand-picked Preventative Health Taskforce called for legal action against tobacco companies to recoup health costs. And movies showing people smoking could attract an MA rating.
In its long-awaited report, the expert group set out 174 recommendations to fight obesity, smoking and alcohol-related disease.
"This strategy sets out a vision for Australia to be the healthiest country by 2020," it said.
Health Minister Nicola Roxon said urgent action was needed to fight the nation's $31 billion preventable diseases burden.
"Prevention is not just a trendy idea of the moment," she said. "It's about saving people's lives."
But Treasurer Wayne Swan dismissed the health blueprint as "simply a report", when asked about the possibility of new "sin taxes".
"We'll take that on board," Mr Swan said.
As revealed by the Herald Sun, the report calls for the price of cigarettes to rise to $20 a packet and setting of a minimum floor price for a standard alcoholic drink.
Alcohol ads would be banned during sports broadcasts and in timeslots when young people would be watching. Cheap wine would become more expensive under a proposal to tax beverages according to alcohol content.
The taskforce suggests "a tax on unhealthy food" could force manufacturers to make their products healthier.
The plan aims to reverse the rise in obesity rates, slash the number of smokers to 10 per cent or less, and halve the number of Australians who drink at risky levels.
Doctors welcomed the plan, saying it would deliver widespread benefits if adopted.
"People need help to be convinced to adopt the lifestyle changes that will provide better health and better quality of life," AMA president Dr Andrew Pesce said.
But Opposition health spokesman Peter Dutton accused the Government of being all talk and no action.
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