National NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia in the first week of July each year (Sunday to Sunday) to celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. NAIDOC Week is an opportunity for all Australians to learn about First Nations cultures and histories and participate in celebrations of the oldest, continuous living cultures on earth.
This NAIDOC week, Cancer Council is delighted to celebrate the reduction in smoking rates among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. Especially as this year marks 20 years of our Tackling Tobacco Program, which is an organisational change-based program that aims to embed smoking cessation support within community service organisations that serve and work together with priority populations.
The program aims to end tobacco-related disparities in priority populations in NSW by empowering organisations and individuals to address tobacco use through evidence-based smoking cessation strategies and support.
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare conducted the National Drug Strategy Household Survey 2022-2023, revealing that smoking rates continued to decline but remained high among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.
1 in 5 (20%) First Nations people smoked tobacco daily in 2022-2023, a substantial decrease from 2010 when more than 1 in 3 (35%) smoked daily.
The Tackling Tobacco program's impact is driven by strong partnerships across government, research, and community sectors, with organisations working together to reduce tobacco-related inequities.
Over two decades, Tackling Tobacco has helped change systems and strengthen support for people on their quitting journey, contributing to more equitable cancer outcomes in NSW. Running the program under advisement from organisations such as Marrin Weejali Aboriginal Corporation is crucial as Services Manager, Melinda Bonham, says communities know what works best for them, "when organisations listen and follow our guidance, programs are more respectful, culturally safe and actually make a difference. It's about partnership, not top-down decisions".
At Marrin Weejali Aboriginal Corporation, their purpose is to take a leadership role in breaking the cycle of dependency, misery and social dislocation. "Cancer Council NSW is proud to work with them to deliver Tackling Tobacco to implement changes across six core areas: leadership and partnerships, community awareness and engagement, workforce development, supportive environments, quit support and evidence and evaluation". says Natalia Arnas, Cancer Information and Support Community Coordinator, Cancer Council NSW.
"One of the biggest wins has been seeing more of our people choosing to cut down or quit smoking and feeling proud and supported in doing that. It's also about stronger community voices leading programs, not just being participants in them." Says Services Manager, Melinda Bonham, Marrin Weejali Aboriginal Corporation.
Cancer Council NSW is committed to reconciliation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Our vision for reconciliation is to improve health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across NSW by creating culturally safe and responsive programs and services.
If you or anyone you know has any questions about cancer, call Cancer Council on 13 11 20
