Mr ANOULACK CHANTHIVONG (Macquarie Fields) [5.22 p.m.]: I make a brief contribution to debate on the Public Health (Tobacco) Amendment (E-cigarettes) Bill 2015. A number of my colleagues have already mentioned the public health benefits of reduced tobacco consumption as well as the glamorisation and normalisation of e-cigarettes. This bill is an important part of an Australian, and indeed a New South Wales, tradition of ensuring that tobacco consumption in our community is not a normal habit, particularly among young people. Australia is a world leader in anti-tobacco legislation and policy. In 1991, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, the smoking rate was about 24.3 per cent for those over the age of 14 and now it is only 12.8 per cent. In 1991 the smoking rate for those aged over 18 was 25 per cent and now it is 13.3 per cent. That is a vast improvement, thanks to legislation and programs introduced by all levels of government to stop the glamorisation of smoking by removing advertisements that encourage smoking and by outlawing smoking in public places.

I saw the prevalence of e-cigarettes recently when I was studying in London. One could walk into a local Westfield store and see a stall selling e-cigarettes that anybody could purchase. That concerned me at the time and I hoped it would not be replicated in New South Wales. I know an amendment is to be moved in the upper House to ensure that e-cigarettes fall within the same category as normal tobacco. This is a wonderful step forward in making sure that public health is always at the forefront because tobacco consumption has public consequences. Tobacco consumption is a private action but it has public consequences for our health system and for our friends and family who are subjected to second-hand smoke. I look forward to more debate on this issue in the upper House and to support for the amendments, which will ensure that e-cigarette smoking does not become a normal activity, particularly among the young, and that more people do not take up harmful tobacco smoking. I commend the bill to the House.