No Images? Click here February 2019Australia recognised as a pioneer in tobacco controlThe Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA) has recognised the significant reduction in smoking prevalence in Australia as one of the countries greatest health achievements. Tobacco control was featured in PHAA Top 10 Public Health Successes over the last 20 years report, with public health measures including plain packaging regulations and increasing the tobacco excise acknowledged for preventing an extraordinary amount of ill health and death in our communities. Call to help people experiencing disadvantage to quit smokingResearch conducted by Curtin University and Cancer Council Western Australia has shown that people experiencing homelessness, drugs or alcohol dependence, and/or living with a mental illness are interested in quitting smoking. Results indicated that cessation interventions among high-priority groups should be personal and practical with continued emotional support. Doctors were identified as the best source of support, followed by Quitline and community services. Smoking rates in Western Australia fallWA has bucked a national trend in smoking as the only state to record a drop in rates in the past three years. Australian Bureau of Statistics data showed that the proportion of daily smokers in WA fell from 14.3 per cent in 2014-15 to 11.8 per cent in 2017-18. This significant reduction has been attributed to public health campaigns and anti-smoking reforms. Smoking in the LGBTIQ communityDid you know that smoking rates in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) community are about double the rate of the general population? In our latest blog, the Make Smoking History (MSH) team looked at the common reasons LGBTIQ people list for taking up smoking, and a surprising historic factor that boosted the smoking rates among the community. Fiona Phillips wins Australian Health Promotion Association Leadership AwardPolicy and Research Coordinator, Fiona Phillips, received the 2018 AHPA Leadership Award for her outstanding service to health promotion. Fiona has worked behind the scenes in tobacco control for over 15 years. In addition to her excellent work with the MSH team at Cancer Council WA, she is often called upon by national experts who require quick, accurate and trusted information on tobacco policy issues. Congratulations Fiona! Make Smoking History team movementsOver the last few months the MSH team has undergone a number of changes with Campaign Officer James Stevens-Cutler taking up a position in the Live Lighter team, and Priority Settings Coordinator Lorena Chapman moving to Victoria to work with our close counterpart Quit Victoria. Both James and Lorena have made significant contributions to MSH and Cancer Council WA and we wish them all the very best in their new roles. In light of these staff movements, we have welcomed Rebecca Salsano into the MSH Campaign team and Bree Olsen (Priority Settings Project Officer) has moved into the role left vacant by Lorena. |