Page 1960 - Week 06 - Thursday, 9 June 2016
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The ACT government will also continue to invest in our healthy weight initiative and already our investment in the health of Canberrans is showing results. There is good news reflecting our prevention efforts in recent years: the rates of obesity and overweight in children are stable; children are drinking far less sugar-sweetened drinks and eating more fruit; and more adults are using active travel as their usual mode of travel to work. When it comes to healthy lifestyles, the report suggests positive gains with some room for improvement and the need to stay vigilant to maintain the gains we have already made.
Alcohol-related harm is an increasing health concern for both our longer-term health and as a cause of injuries, assaults and presentations to our emergency departments. We have made excellent gains on smoking rates overall, yet smoking remains a leading preventable cause of death in particular groups in our community. Young pregnant women and members of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community are smoking at relatively high rates.
Smoking in pregnancy is an important preventable cause of a wide range of adverse pregnancy outcomes, such as premature birth, perinatal mortality and low birth weight. Low birth weight is an important determinant of a baby’s chance of survival and long-term good health.
That is why ACT Health has recently commenced the smoking in pregnancy project which aims to prevent smoking uptake amongst young women in the ACT, reduce smoking rates during pregnancy amongst young women and reduce smoking rates during pregnancy for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women. It also supports partners and families to quit.
E-cigarettes have also emerged as an issue of health concern during this reporting period and bring the risk of renormalising smoking, particularly for young people. The report shows that 12 per cent of secondary students have used an e-cigarette. We have responded quickly to this emerging health issue, and in April this year the ACT government and the Legislative Assembly passed the Smoke-Free Legislation Amendment Bill to restrict the sale, promotion and use of personal vaporisers, commonly known as e-cigarettes. This new legislation sees the ACT become a leading Australian jurisdiction in protecting public health from potential harms of e-cigarettes.
ACT Health has also updated its smoke-free environment policy so that all ACT health facilities and grounds are now smoke free. Calvary hospital, Calvary John James hospital and National Capital Private Hospital also adopted smoke-free policies. Smoke-free policies also apply at various outdoor places, such as the Australian National University, Manuka Oval and GIO Stadium.
The risk of becoming infected with a blood-borne disease remains for particular population groups in the ACT. Hepatitis C continued to disproportionately affect vulnerable people, including the prison population, injecting drug users and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Our Healthy Canberra report also shows a recent rise in new cases of HIV, mainly in men.
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