NSW Health Minister Ryan Park identified illicit tobacco as the top preventable health challenge facing New South Wales over the next decade during the NSW Great Health Debate. He expressed concern that vaping might lead a new generation to become addicted to nicotine, despite initial hopes that it would help smokers quit. Park also mentioned that the government closes down around 15 to 20 illegal tobacco stores weekly but remains vigilant about addressing the proliferation of these products and stores. The debate included discussions on climate change, childhood obesity, vaccination rates, and gambling reform among other issues.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-02,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Ryan Park, the state’s health minister in NSW, revealed that illicit tobacco is the single biggest preventable health challenge facing the region over the next decade. This announcement came during a debate hosted by the Public Health Association of Australia and the University of Sydney on Thursday evening. Initially hoping that vaping would aid smokers in quitting traditional cigarettes, Park expressed concern that it might instead result in another generation becoming addicted to nicotine. He emphasized the significant efforts made over the past century to reduce smoking rates and stressed his desire not to see these gains jeopardized. During the debate with Coalition and Greens health spokespeople, Park acknowledged the government's steps to strengthen regulations and shut down 15 to 20 illegal stores weekly but admitted more action is necessary.
Written for “NSW Health Issues” on 2026-10-04,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
The state’s health minister has named illicit tobacco as the single biggest preventable health challenge facing NSW over the next decade, as he acknowledged the government had been caught off guard by the rise of vaping in the community.
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government → name → community
Ryan Park told the NSW Great Health Debate that the government had initially hoped vaping would help smokers quit, but was now concerned it would lead to another generation becoming addicted.
“Governments, public health officials, researchers did so much in the last century to curb our tobacco rates and smoking rates, and I don’t want to be the minister that sees that Pandora’s box completely open again,” he said at the Thursday evening event hosted by the Public Health Association of Australia and the University of Sydney.
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he → tell → Sydney
“I am worried that we will have a generation of young people ... hooked on nicotine again if we don’t try and deal with this issue.”
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we → worry → issue
During the face-off with Coalition and Greens health spokespeople, Park said the government had strengthened regulations and was closing down 15 to 20 illegal stores every week, but acknowledged there was more to do.
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government → say → stores
“The proliferation of these stores, the availability of these products, and trying to get on top of it as a government … keeps me up at night,” he said.
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he → try → night
“I don’t want to leave a legacy where we haven’t really done everything we can.”
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we → want → everything
The debate asked the state’s health leaders to outline their vision for preventative healthcare in NSW.
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debate → ask → NSW
NSW Greens health spokesperson Dr Amanda Cohn called climate change the number one issue, while shadow minister for health Sarah Mitchell singled out childhood obesity and declining vaccination rates.
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Mitchell → call → obesity
Cohn used the debate to call for a standalone preventative health agency in NSW in honour of Victorian Greens MP Dr Tim Read, who died of metastatic cancer last month.
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who → use → cancer
“With the health system in the crisis that it’s in, when the people running the health system are focused day to day on addressing bed block, on addressing ambulance ramping, on making sure people can get the acute care that they need, preventive health becomes an afterthought,” she said.
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she → ’ → that
Cohn said a specialised agency like those implemented in Victoria and South Australia was “the only way” to ensure preventative strategy would be implemented across the state.
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strategy → say → state
Mitchell called for preventative health funding “beyond election cycles” but stopped short of supporting a standalone agency, while Park also expressed doubt that funding a new agency would be more effective than the work of existing bodies.
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funding → call → bodies
Gambling reform caused the strongest division among the debate members, who largely agreed on other topics and spoke of collaboration across party lines.
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who → cause → lines
Mitchell said problem gambling was “not black and white” as poker machines were important for the business revenue of regional pubs and clubs, and played a role in community engagement.
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machines → say → engagement
“I think it’s easy to make motherhood statements about getting rid of more poker machines … but we’ve got to focus on harmful gambling behaviour, supporting and targeting those who we know are spending money that they can’t afford.”
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they → think → that
Cohn spoke of treating a woman in an emergency department who had collapsed as she’d received so little food and water while gambling: “These clubs are not caring for local communities, they’re preying on people with addiction.”
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they → speak → addiction
Cohn said the government had spent $1 billion on tax exemptions “handed back to pokies operators” in last year’s budget.
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government → say → budget
Park saying gambling reform was an ongoing issue.
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reform → say → ?
“We’re not going to be sitting here pretending [that] problem gambling isn’t problematic in communities, nor am I going to say that clubs are all evil because they’re not, and they provide really good employment opportunities,” he said.
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he → go → opportunities
He spoke of the challenge posed by online gambling and pointed to recent investment in gambling support services.
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He → speak → services
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