Australian Smokers Still Think Rollies Are Healthier than Cigarettes

Rollies. A staple of Australian youth culture, for better or worse. Why? Well, up until recently, pouch tobacco was taxed at a lower rate than cigarettes. Which is a big deal in a country with some of the highest smoking taxes in the world. But the 2017 Budget changed all that, and now the humble roll-your-own’s popularity endures for only two reasons: Melbourne art bro aesthetics and the totally incorrect assumption that tobacco in pouch form is somehow healthier than tobacco in cigarette form. The Victorian Smoking and Health Survey, released today by Quit Victoria, confirms it—revealing that almost half (43 percent) of the state’s smokers aged between 18 and 29 think rollies are healthier than those slightly more upmarket winnie blues. The organisation randomly sampled 4,000 people over the phone during November and December 2016 to build a picture of Victoria’s smoking habits. In a statement provided to VICE, Quit Victoria Director Dr Sarah White expressed concern that young Australians are deluding themselves when it comes to the supposed health benefits of tobacco. “It’s really alarming that close to half of roll-your-own tobacco users believe roll-your-own tobacco is less harmful than traditional cigarettes. There is a perception among smokers that these products are more 'natural' and don’t contain additives—but this couldn’t be further from the truth,” she said. “Not only do tobacco companies use similar additives in loose tobacco as they do in cigarettes, these additives tend to be added in even higher amounts.” International bodies would tend to agree with Quit Victoria’s assessment. A 2014 study published in British Medical Journal, citing numerous other similar findings, showed that roll-your-own cigarettes are “at least” as harmful as factory-rolled, and quite possibly more so. Which is disturbing when you consider how many people think they’re making a slightly healthier or more “natural” choice when smoking them. Just like all that plain packaging says, smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease in Australia. Rollies, like cigarettes, are associated with an increased risk heart disease, diabetes, stroke, cancer, renal disease, eye disease, asthma, emphysema and bronchitis. In Victoria alone, smoking kills 4,000 people per year. Australia-wide, it’s responsible for the deaths of 15, 500 people per year. Some facts to keep in mind next time you spend half your night trying to find someone with a bag of filters.

Follow Kat on Twitter