Smoking Linked with Kidney Disease

smh.com.au

A kidney health warning should be added to the front of all cigarette packets, Kidney Health Australia says. Kidney Health Australia chief executive officer Anne Wilson said yesterday all cigarette packaging should be changed after research showed a link between smoking and kidney damage.

"Whilst we may not have the capital resources of the tobacco industry to get our message across, we will certainly be pursuing this matter publicly with politicians and health professionals," she told the launch of Australian Kidney Awareness Week in Canberra.

Kidney Health Australia's medical director Tim Mathew said men were particularly at risk from the effects of smoking and kidney problems.

"Men are particularly at risk from the effects of smoking on reducing kidney function," Dr Mathew said at the launch.

"The general public without the typical risk factors of high blood pressure and diabetes should be warned that smoking is associated with kidney damage."

The campaign has coincided with World No Tobacco Day, and opposition health spokeswoman Julia Gillard said although she endorsed the call for inclusion of the kidney warnings, it was time the Government stuck to its promise of displaying 50 per cent warnings on cigarette packets.

"We know, obviously, one of the worst things you can do for your kidneys is to smoke cigarettes, but today, apart from being the start of 'Wee Week', is also the start of World No Tobacco Day.

"So it's a very good day for the Government to be responding as to whether or not it's going to keep to its original plan of 50 per cent warnings on the front of packets and implement it as soon as possible."

Ms Gillard said the Howard Government had agreed graphic warnings would take up 50 per cent of the front of cigarette packets by mid 2004 - but so far had failed to deliver.