BACKGROUND AND IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES: Despite some encouraging progress, Australia faces the challenge of ongoing tobacco use with persisting inequities with high smoking prevalence among Indigenous peoples. Hence stronger regulation and policy innovation is required.
South Australia is considering introducing a Tobacco-Free Generation (TFG) policy to prohibit the sale and supply of tobacco products and e-cigarettes to individuals born after 1 January 2007. A Bill to introduce the policy was passed by the State’s Legislative Council in 2024, and will likely be considered by the State’s House of Assembly in 2025. The policy is consistent with new federal and state tobacco control strategies and responds to recent increases in teenage smoking and use of e-cigarettes in Australia.
However, TFG policies face complexities of legislative approval and determined opposition; the tobacco industry and its allies strongly oppose the TFG by questioning its moral justification, feasibility and effectiveness.
INTERVENTION OR RESPONSE: The TFG policy is grounded in theory and evidence suggesting that this approach will maximise reductions in smoking uptake by progressively denormalising smoking, eliminating tobacco product availability to young people and ending the ‘rite-of-passage’ effect introduced by fixed age restrictions.
RESULTS AND IMPACT: Modelling studies internationally suggest TFG policies will lead to substantial and highly equitable reductions in smoking prevalence. TFG policies attract strong public support. South Australia would be the first jurisdiction in Australia to successfully enact such a measure, aligning with current regulatory momentum in the United States and United Kingdom. We will provide an update on the status of the TFG policy and lessons learnt to date for advocacy and policy development.
CONCLUSIONS: The South Australian TFG policy represents a key public health intervention with the potential to protect future generations of young people from addiction and harm of tobacco products and contribute to achieving minimal smoking prevalence in Australia.