Delegates from across the country met in Canberra for an anti-tobacco workshop from 11 – 14 December 2011. The workforce was given several new tools: a guide about Nicotine Replace Therapy (NRT) and another to encourage communities to develop their own healthy lifestyle activities to combat chronic disease.
Indigenous Health Minister Warren Snowdon launched the new resources, said that if the percentage of Indigenous people who smoked dropped to the non-indigenous rate of about 19 per cent, 420 Indigenous lives would be saved each year.
The Talkin’ Up Good Air: Australian Indigenous Tobacco Control Resource Kit produced by the Centre for Excellence in Indigenous Control kit is a practical resource to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities – whether urban, rural or remote – which aims to assist and support them to tackle the burden of smoking.The workshop also highlighted what cessation programs and social marketing campaigns that are being delivered in the wider community.
Team from Gippsland Indigenous Tobacco Control Project talked about the Clean Air Gippsland campaign with Gippsland and East Gippsland Aboriginal Co-operative (GEGAC).
The campaign created television ads and billboards, which involved Aboriginal people from the local community.
The project team found that anti-smoking campaigns were failing to reach Aboriginal people because they rarely involve people from the Indigenous community. So the team responsible organised local Indigenous teenagers to take part in this unique program.
Paul Rowe, the Manager of the program wanted the participants to get experience in production and acting. He also wanted to get young people’s input and they helped shape the ads and the concepts are their ideas because he didn’t want to speak on their behalf. They wanted to have them involved and have their voices heard.”
The program involved GEGAC, Ramahyuck District Aboriginal Corporation, Lake Tyers Health and Children’s Services and the Moogji Aboriginal Council in Orbost.
Services going Smoke-Free ( Smoke-FreeWorkplaces )
NACCHO has gone smoke free…
From 31 May 2012 (World No Tobacco Day) NACCHO will be a Smoke-Free Workplace. The policy aims to provide a workplace that is smoke free thus ensuring a safer, pleasant, cleaner environment for all. The policy’s goal is to reduce the health risks associated with smoking and exposure to environmental tobacco smoke.
Smoking will not be permitted in any area of the NACCHO facilities, this includes NACCHO vehicles.
By doing this the organisation aims to eliminate the possible exposure to tobacco on NACCHO property and facilities.
For further Information: trisha.williams@naccho.org.au