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South Eastern Sydney Illawarra Health and Cancer Council NSW are launching a special project to help plug the gap in smoking rates between rich and poor
South Eastern Sydney Illawarra Health and Cancer Council NSW are holding a free World No Tobacco Day event on Tuesday 8 June. The two hour information session will discuss: smoking as a social justice issue; the barriers and challenges to quit smoking; the new free NSW Smoking Care Training program provided by Cancer Council NSW; and the Nicotine Replacement Therapy grants available to assist clients quit smoking. Venue information can be found here.


SmokeCheck celebrates World No Tobacco Day on 31st May 2010
Be a part of the SmokeCheck World No Tobacco Day Target - Let's Speak to 2,400 Aboriginal Women in 1 Day! The SmokeCheck Team encourages all SmokeCheck-trained workers to make a special effort on 31 May 2010, World No Tobacco Day, to have a yarn with Aboriginal women about their smoking. Visit our World No Tobacco Day 2010 webpage for further information and to print some eye-catching posters. You can also download our World No Tobacco Day information sheet.


Take The Cancer Institute's pledge to Quit Smoking on 31st May 2010
The Cancer Institute is promoting World No Tobacco Day as the day to prepare to quit. They have set up The Day I Quit website to share the experiences and stories of recent quitters who they refer to as 'our heros'. At the heart of their experiences are the positive implications of how quitting smoking has benefitted them and their families. SmokeCheck encourage you to take the pledge to quit smoking and it would be great if you could support your clients to do the same. Through this site you can also join in the discussions on Facebook! For further information visit The Day I Quit website.


At last, truth in cigarette advertising
From January 2012, all cigarettes will be sold in plain packages. No logos, no shiny finishes, no bright colours, no pretty pictures. Read Becky Freeman and Simon Chapman's Sydney Morning Herald article here.


New SmokeCheck report is published
The Final Report on SmokeCheck activities conducted in Phase 1 is now available. A summary of the Final Report can also be downloaded here.


FREE NRT patches for Aboriginal people
Did you know that Nicotine patches (15mg) are available FREE of charge through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people by presenting a doctor's certificate in the pharmacy?


Light at the end of the tunnel...Are smoking rates of Aboriginal Australians on the decrease?
A study recently published by David P Thomas (2009) examines the trends in smoking prevalence of Australian Indigenous men and women aged 18 and over in three large national cross-sectional surveys in 1994, 2002 and 2004. Read his report "Smoking prevalence trends in indigenous Australians, 1994-2004: a typical rather than an exceptional epidemic."


No cigarettes at point of sale in shops
New legislation in NSW will mean that tobacco must be out of sight of the public from July 2010 for all retailers, including tobacconists For retailers with over 50 staff such as Coles and Woolworth's supermarkets, this law is already in place.

Tobacco vending machines will also come under this new legislation, with only one vending machine allowed per premises. From 1 July 2010, the vending machine must be operated by staff intervention. For further information visit NSW Health website.

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The Global Research Neglect of Unassisted Smoking Cessation: Causes and Consequences
This interesting paper was recently published by Simon Chapman and Ross MacKenzie from the School of Public Health, University of Sydney. It examines how global research has neglected unaided quit smoking attempts.


Awareness and impact of the 'Bubblewrap' advertisting campaign among Aboriginal smokers in Western Australia
The 'Bubblewrap' advertising campaign is analysed in this paper in terms of awareness and impact among Aboriginal smokers in Western Australia.


Heart Foundation Position Statement on Indigenous Tobacco Control
The Heart Foundation has identified the cardiovascular health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as a high priority. As a result they recently issued a position statement on Indigenous Tobacco Control.


The Cancer Institute’s Voice Within campaign is back on air until 27th March 2010. The campaign consists of a 30 second and 15 second television commercial and a 30 second radio commercial, supported by outdoor advertising.

The campaign emphasises the fact that smoking does not always kill but can lead to a reduced quality of life for the smoker and their family. It also creates a sense of personal responsibility about the health consequences of smoking. The campaign promotes the Quitline number and a call to action to smokers to talk to their doctor or pharmacist for help to quit smoking. For further information visit the Cancer Institute NSW website.


Announcing the 2010 training workshop timetable
The 2010 SmokeCheck workshop timetable is now available.

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