Smoking: An Indigenous Health Challenge

Tobacco use is a major preventable contributor to the gap in life expectancy between Indigenous Australians and other Australians. Much of this gap is due to smoking related diseases such as cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease and cancer.

Nearly half of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults smoke compared to less than one fifth of other adults. Smoking prevalence is higher in remote areas. The challenge for health practitioners and communities is to develop innovative and effective ways of addressing tobacco use in Indigenous communities. Research is still needed to ascertain the most appropriate interventions for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Strategies to combat smoking need to acknowledge the historical, cultural, and socio-economic factors influencing its use, as well as the individual psychological, physical and behavioural factors.

This program assists health practitioners with the knowledge and understanding to help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people quit smoking. A range of interventions to both help prevent tobacco use and assist Indigenous Australians to quit are examined.

The Hon Warren Snowdon MP, Minister for Indigenous Health introduces the program.

Produced by the Rural Health Education Foundation