Lung Foundation

Embargoed until 12.01am Friday, 1 January 2010  

– New Australian Lung Foundation research reinforces the need for Australians to approach quitting smoking as a long-term plan –

With research released today showing 80 percent of Australian adults don’t stick to their New Year resolutions,¹ The Australian Lung Foundation is calling on smokers to have a more structured long-term approach to quitting.

“While many people have good intentions to quit smoking, results show a New Year resolution in itself does not often lead to success. However, the New Year can be a great time to start thinking about your lung health and committing to a quit date,” said Prof Christine Jenkins, Head of Airways Group, Woolcock Institute of Medical Research and Member of the National Council, The Australian Lung Foundation.

“Quitting smoking is more likely to be successful if you use all the strategies available to you – social support, nicotine replacement therapy and minimising risky situations where you might be tempted to smoke again. Implementing each of these steps will make quitting much more achievable for most people,” said Prof Jenkins.

The research commissioned by The Australian Lung Foundation highlights that a third (31 percent) of current smokers have unsuccessfully tried to quit as part of a New Year resolution.1 Of those who have successfully quit smoking, only seven percent were able to do so through a New Year resolution, while 93 percent quit some other way.¹

Lung disease is a serious problem which each year places a considerable burden on the hospital system, causing nearly 350,000 hospitalisations and 19,200 deaths.^2,3 While genetic and environmental factors such as gas, dust and fumes can contribute to lung disease, smoking is the biggest contributor. In fact, smoking causes up to 90 percent of lung cancers and is the single largest cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).^4,5

The call to action coincides with 2010: The Year of the Lung, a global 12 month campaign designed to communicate the urgency for increased awareness and action to improve lung health. “In conjunction with 2010: The Year of the Lung, The Australian Lung Foundation is encouraging people to consider the health of their lungs, particularly if they are smokers or ex-smokers,” said Prof Jenkins.

To help assess the health of your lungs, The Australian Lung Foundation has developed the Lung Health Checklist, which is available online at http://www.lungfoundation.com.au/ and only takes a minute to complete.

According to Assoc Prof Renee Bittoun, Director of Smokers Clinics within the University of Sydney’s Faculty of Medicine, quitting smoking is not a universal experience, meaning some people find it harder to quit than others.

“Many people really want to quit, and a New Year resolution offers a great incentive to start. If you’ve had trouble quitting in the past a useful way is to begin is to set small goals every day, for example to stop smoking indoors,” said Assoc Prof Bittoun.

For those considering quitting in 2010 Assoc Prof Bittoun and The Australian Lung Foundation recommend the following suggestions to help put you on the path to quitting:

• Call the Quit helpline on 13 QUIT
• Make your home and car smoke-free zones 
• Where possible, undertake exercise when you have the urge to smoke – short exercise like walking around the house can reduce the urge to smoke
• Alternate cigarettes with nicotine replacement therapy, or a combination of therapies
• Speak with your doctor about available treatments that have been shown to help smokers quit such as nicotine replacement and other prescribed therapies, counselling and other behavioural approaches.⁵

“There are genetic and environmental factors which affect a person’s ability to quit smoking,” said Assoc Prof Bittoun. “For example, inherited genes impact how your brain and body deals with nicotine, meaning some people are much more prone to tobacco addiction than others. People who have these genes might smoke more cigarettes per day, or it might be more difficult for them to quit. We need to understand these differences in individual smokers and their ability to quit – with the right support where needed they can quit.”

“The results of our research show that quitting isn’t easy and there are a lot of obstacles to achieving your goal of better lung health. In 2010, The Australian Lung Foundation would like to encourage people who wish to quit smoking to turn their New Year resolution into a reality, by getting the information and support they need,” concluded Prof Jenkins.

– ENDS –

If you would like to organise an interview or receive further information, please contact:

Please refer to separate fact sheet for more information on lung disease in Australia.

 Fact Sheet: Smoking Cessation and 2010: The Year of the Lung 68.45 Kb

Link between lung disease and smoking: cigarette smoking is the most important cause of lung diseases such as COPD.^6,7 There is a close relationship between the amount of tobacco smoked and the rate of decline in forced expiratory flow in one second (FEV1), although individuals vary greatly in susceptibility.⁶ Around half of all smokers develop some airflow limitation, and 15-20 percent will develop clinically significant disability.⁶ Smokers are also at risk of developing lung cancer, and cardiovascular disease.

The research was conducted by Galaxy Research and commissioned by The Australian Lung Foundation as part of a Telephone Omnibus on the weekend of 4-6 December 2009. The sample was 1,050 people aged ≥18 years, distributed throughout Australia as follows: NSW/ACT (316), Victoria (296), Queensland (192), South Australia (124), Western Australia (124). Following the completion of the survey the data was weighted by sex and area to reflect the latest ABS population estimates.

The Lung Health Checklist allows people to recognise possible symptoms of lung disease and share the results with their healthcare provider if required. After completing the Lung Health Checklist, users receive a customised response providing advice on action to be taken for their lung health.

Its objectives include:

• Drive legislative, political and grassroots public opinion towards measurable improvements in funding, research and development, basic lung health screening.
• Increase smoking cessation and public education of lung health.
• For more information visit: www.2010yearofthelung.org  

The Australian Lung Foundation is the premier organisation for lung health in Australia, providing medical and support group representation nationwide. It was established in 1990 to reduce the significant and debilitating cost of lung disease and is the leading facilitator of research and professional development in lung disease. The Australian Lung Foundation offers a national network of patient support groups for people with lung conditions. Patients are supported with information via www.lungfoundation.com.au , a quarterly health education newsletter, telephone information and a free support hotline (1800 654 301).

1. Galaxy Research. Galaxy Telephone Omnibus Lung Health Study. December 2009

2. Australian Bureau of Statistics. Underlying causes of deaths in Australia. 2009

3. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Principal diagnosis data cubes: Separation statistics by principal diagnosis in ICD-10-AM, Australia 2006-2000

4. Cancer Council NSW. Understanding Lung Cancer: a guide for people with cancer, their families. October 2007. Available at: www.cancercouncil.com.au

5. McKenzie DK, l Abramson M, Crockett A et al. The COPD-X Plan: Australian and New Zealand Guidelines for the

management of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 2009. Available at: www.copdx.org.au

6. Fletcher C, Peto R. The natural history of chronic airflow obstruction. Br Med J, 1977. 1(6077): p. 1645-8

7. Burrows B, Knudson RJ, Cline MG, Lebowitz MD. Quantitative relationships between cigarette smoking and ventilatory function. American Rev Respir Dis 1977;115(2):195-205