To the Editor: Magnusson and Currow’s “no-frills” version1 of my proposal for a smokers licence2 places reduction of sales to children as its main goal and removes “non-core” features. Gone are precommitment daily purchasing limits as well as the major financial incentive to surrender the licence by middle age. This effectively guts the major components designed to reduce consumption and stimulate cessation.
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- 1. Magnusson RS, Currow DC. Could a scheme for licensing smokers work in Australia. Med J Aust 2013; 199: 181-184. <MJA full text>
- 2. Chapman S. The case for a smoker’s license. PLOS Med 2012; 9: e1001342. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1001342.
- 3. White V, Bariola E. Australian secondary school students’ use of tobacco, alcohol, and over-the-counter and illicit substances in 2011. Report prepared for Drug Strategy Branch, Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing. http://www.nationaldrugstrategy.gov.au/internet/drugstrategy/Publishing.nsf/content/school11 (accessed Oct 2013).
- 4. Scollo M. Chapter 2: Trends in tobacco consumption, Table 2.2.5. In: Scollo M, Winstanley M, editors. Tobacco in Australia: facts and issues. 4th ed. Melbourne: Cancer Council Victoria, 2012. http://www.tobaccoinaustralia. org.au/chapter-2-consumption/2-2-dutiable-tobacco-products-as-an-estimate-of-to (accessed Oct 2013).
- 5. Apollonio DE, Malone RE. The “We Card” Program: tobacco industry “youth smoking prevention” as industry self-preservation. Am J Public Health 2010; 100: 1188-1201. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2009.169573.
- 6. Ling PM, Landman A, Glantz SA. It is time to abandon youth access tobacco programmes. Tob Control 2002; 11: 3-6. doi: 10.1136/tc.11.1.3.
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