Australian Greens leader and spokesperson on gambling and sport, Senator Richard Di Natale, was joined by Greens candidate for LaTrobe Tom Cummings today to unveil the Greens policy to end the constant barrage of sports betting ads, by treating them in the same way as tobacco advertising.

"Today the Greens are announcing a reform that will make it possible for people to sit down with their kids and watch a game of footy without being bombarded by constant messages to bet," Senator Di Natale said.

The Australian National Preventive Health Agency has today released a draft report on alcohol advertising. Australian Greens health spokesperson, Dr Richard Di Natale said today that ANPHA’s report is an endorsement of the Greens position on alcohol advertising.

“The time has come to get grog ads out of sport,” said Senator Di Natale.

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A comprehensive ban on the targeted advertising of harmful products to children would reinforce healthy lifestyle choices and ensure young people's wellbeing for the future.

The Greens will:

Australian Greens health spokesperson, Dr Richard Di Natale, joined Greens communications spokesperson, Senator Scott Ludlam, in Perth today to announce their Kids Ad Package.

“The Greens want to protect our children from being exposed to alcohol advertising,” said Senator Di Natale.

“The Greens have already announced that we would ban the promotion of junk food and gambling during the times when kids are watching television. Today we are announcing that we would apply the same approach to alcohol.

Australian Greens gambling spokesperson, Senator Richard Di Natale, joined Tasmanian Senator, Peter Whish-Wilson, in Hobart today to announce the Greens policy on pokies for the 2013 election and call on Prime Minister Rudd to get behind pokies reform. 

"This parliament missed the opportunity to comprehensively deal with the harms from problem gambling but a new government has the opportunity to put pokies back on the political agenda," said Senator Di Natale.

Australians are the world's most prolific gamblers. We spend a remarkable $1200 per capita every year on bets. 

Of the $19 billion gambled by Australians every year, 60% (or $12 billion) goes into poker machines. About 4% of the adult population, or 600,000 people, play pokies at least weekly. Up to 15% of the people who gamble weekly are considered "problem gamblers" who have difficulty controlling their play and expenditure. These problem gamblers account for about 40% of all pokies losses. This means that those who can least afford it are losing the most.