Talking About The Smokes

Promote research that will be evidence – informed best practice

Talking About the Smokes is a large national research project to better understand the pathways to smoking and quitting for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and to evaluate what works in assisting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to quit smoking.

The prevalence of smoking among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (47%) is more than twice that of the total Australian population. This accounts for one sixth of the health gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and other Australians. At present there is very little research that evaluates tobacco control policy and smoking cessation initiatives for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Talking About the Smokes is modelled on the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Policy Evaluation Project which operates globally in 23 countries. This model has been altered to suit the context of smoking cessation and tobacco control for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia.

Talking About the Smokes will involve 40 Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services over two years and survey a total of 2000 smokers and 1000 non-smokers as well as staff.

Duration of Project

February 2012-February 2015

Objectives

Talking About the Smokes aims to answer the following questions:

What are the pathways to quitting for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander smokers, including the impacts of various moderators and psychosocial mediators;
What are the impacts of national, local and regional tobacco control policies and programs on smoking and quitting, and the factors mediating this, for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who smoke and who do not smoke;
What are the impacts of national, local and regional tobacco control policies and programs on smoking and quitting and the factors mediating this, for staff working at Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services;
What are the impacts of national-level policies on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as compared to other Australians, Indigenous peoples in other countries (eg Maori in New Zealand), or people in other countries with an ITC Project.

Project team/contact

National Communication Coordinator
Ms Josie May

TATS Project Coordinator
Arika Errington

TATS Project Coordinator
Tav Fox

Stakeholders/Partners

Talking About the Smokes is a partnership between NACCHO and -

Menzies School of Health Research

The Centre of Excellence in Indigenous Tobacco Control

Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council

Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council

Cancer Council Victoria

Funding body

Australian Government, Department of Health and Ageing

Reference group

NACCHO is a member of the Talking about the Smokes Project Reference Group. Each state and territory Affiliate including the Torres Strait Authority is represented or has been invited to this Group.

Research

The Research Team is led by the Menzies School of Health Research. Other members include QAIHC, AH&MRC, Cancer Council of Victoria, CEITC and NACCHO.

NCN

If you are a member service involved in the Talking About the Smokes Project click on this NCN link to access NCN.

NACCHO

National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation

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