ANU Professor receives international recognition for work on tobacco control

Professor Emily Banks AM does life-saving work. Her research has informed national and global action on tobacco smoking and e-cigarette use.

She has no intention of slowing down any time soon.

When she started working in tobacco control, many people asked why and said things like “it says it on the packet” and “why do we need to know more about smoking?”

“Although many people are aware that smoking is harmful, few people understand that it is Australia’s number one killer,” she says.

“Our work shows it is taking 66 lives a day – 24,000 each year. This extraordinary toll means that most families in Australia have lost loved ones to smoking.

“We continue to underestimate its effects. People are surprised that lung cancer is the number cause of cancer death in Australia, including for women. There is still a long way to go.”

Banks says the sole cause of the extreme harms of tobacco is the tobacco industry, which uses a wide range of tactics to push back against anything that threatens their interests – like high quality research.

“People working in tobacco control often find themselves in the firing line. When I first received threats and online abuse I was ashamed and thought I was doing something wrong. Now I know that it is a sign that the work our team is doing is making a difference to people’s lives,” she says.

She describes her field of public health research as “the ultimate team sport”.

There is evidence of this teamwork throughout her recent research projects. As well as research understanding the health effects of tobacco smoking, her team has led work on the impacts of electronic cigarettes or vaping.

“It’s a public health crisis that is rapidly unfolding before our eyes,” she says.

“Nicotine is one of the most addictive substances known to humanity. Tobacco and related nicotine industries know that if they want lifetime customers, they must addict children and adolescents, while their brains are laying down patterns for later life.

“There is a tendency to trivialise addiction – you might hear people say I’m addicted to chocolate, or the latest TV show. In reality, addiction takes away the choice of whether or not someone wants to continue using something. Addiction means you only feel normal when you have the product, and if you don’t have it, you have terrible withdrawal symptoms.

“For people vaping, where nicotine is metabolised quite fast, they’re going through that cycle multiple times a day. Some young people are having difficulty sitting through a lesson or a meal with their families because of addiction.

“Also, young non-smokers who vape are around three times as likely to take up smoking as non-vapers. There’s a real concern that widespread vaping will undermine our amazing progress in reducing smoking among children and adolescents in Australia.

“it’s important to acknowledge that while there is still uncertainty around e-cigarettes, we need to act now to reduce exposure. it’s about actively seeking to manage risk.”

Now, Banks is being celebrated by the World Health Organization.

Through their World No Tobacco Day Awards, WHO honours individuals and organisations across six WHO regions for their outstanding contributions to tobacco control and leadership in the fight to protect public health.

Banks is among the recipients for 2025.

“This award is terrific encouragement to help all of us to go even harder in the fight against tobacco,” she says.

“It reflects Australia’s achievements in tobacco control and the example our community has given. We’ve had enough of smoking, and industry addicting people to make a profit.”