Doctors urge Qantas to stop selling duty free cigarettes

Doctors have joined a call for Qantas to reverse its decision to sell duty free cigarettes on its flights.

The Australian Medical Association (AMA) says it will be writing to the national carrier to urge it to stop in flight tobacco sales on its international routes.

Qantas resumed the practice this month almost 10 years after it was stopped, citing customer demand.

Anti-smoking lobby groups called the move a “greedy cash grab” and AMA president Rosanna Capolingua labelled it a “retrograde step”.

“It is strange that an airline that prides itself on an international reputation for safety could be pushing packs of poison to its customers,” Dr Capolingua said.

“Qantas could be positioning cigarettes as a normal consumer product and a standard part of the in-flight experience, like items from the drinks trolley but tobacco products are not like other items.

“They are inherently harmful.”

Legislation prohibits the packs from being advertised in the shopping catalogue but the airline can legally stack them on duty free trolleys to be wheeled through the cabin.

A letter recently sent to Qantas staff by management states: “It’s vital that dutyfree carts are taken out into the economy cabin, with the cigarettes displayed prominently on top”.

The company said yesterday that the move was in response to customer demand and was in line with several other major airlines including Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic.

The AMA said it would be writing to Qantas to urge a policy reversal.

It said it had also supported calls by previous federal governments to halt the sale of dutyfree tobacco completely.

“The AMA believes the issue of dutyfree tobacco should now be considered by the (Federal Government’s) preventative health task force as part of its focus on tobacco as a contributor to preventable illness,” Dr Capolingua said.

Smoking was estimated to cost Australia $31.5 billion in the 2004/05 financial year.