Make Smoking History
Make Smoking History aims to reduce the prevalence of smoking among adults in Western Australia. It is a population reach program and includes a range of comprehensive strategies including mass media advertising, community support based strategies (including strategies to target Indigenous people in WA) the production of public education materials, policy, research and public relations activities.
Specifically Make Smoking History seeks to:
• Influence public opinion and policy on key smoking and health issues;
• Raise awareness of the harms of smoking and the benefits of quitting; and
• Assist and support smokers to quit by providing them with information and resources to help plan their quit attempt.
The primary target group for Make Smoking History is adult smokers particularly those of lower socio-economic status (including Indigenous people) as this group continues to have a higher prevalence of smoking.
Activities relevant to CEITC members are outlined below:
Since 2007, Make Smoking History has increased its efforts to target Indigenous people living in Western Australia through its mass media campaigns. This has included featuring Indigenous talent in advertising campaigns such as in the Smoke Free Home and Car campaign in 2007.
Make Smoking History has also increasingly incorporated Indigenous-targeted materials into advertising campaigns or has aired appropriate mainstream materials on Indigenous networks. For example, the Smoke Free Home and Car campaign in 2008 aired on remote regional television station GTV 35, and four radio advertisements (three developed by ACOSH and one by the Cancer Council WA in 2007) specifically targeting Indigenous families ran on regional and Indigenous radio stations.
Make Smoking History works in partnership and has a strong relationship with the Kulunga Research Network based at the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research. In 2008, the Cancer Council WA commissioned the Kulunga Research Network to conduct post-campaign research with Indigenous smokers following the May/June 2008 Bubblewrap campaign. This research was accepted for publication in the Tobacco Control Journal (published December 2009). The research has proven to be very valuable to the wider tobacco control community. It found that mainstream anti-smoking campaigns do speak to Indigenous people but also highlighted areas for future research.
Article Reference: Boyle T, Shepherd CCJ, Pearson G, Monteiro H, McAullay D, Economo K, Stewart S. Awareness and impact of the ‘Bubblewrap’ advertising campaign among Aboriginal smokers in Western Australia. Tob Control. Published Online First: 3 December 2009. doi: 10.1136/tc.2009.031856
To view the above advertising materials refer to the corresponding campaigns (Smoke Free Home and Car 2007, Smoke Free Home and Car 2008 and Bubblewrap 2008) at:
http://www.cancerwa.asn.au/prevention/tobacco/makesmokinghistory/tvcampaigns/
Established in 2000, this project is on-going
When targeting an Indigenous audience, the establishment of an informal network has worked well for Make Smoking History. This has included a group of key Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, medical, media, research agencies, programs and contacts with whom we can consult on the development of campaign advertising, resources, strategies and work where practicable.
What has also helped, is being practical in what we can achieve with the resources available to our agency.
Future Research:
Make Smoking History and the Kulunga Research Network will work together again in 2010 to conduct focus group research with Indigenous people to:
• Gain insight into reasons as to why some Indigenous smokers have been able to quit smoking or withstand influences to take up the habit; and
• Explore Indigenous children’s attitudes to smoking and potential influence on the health behaviours of their families and communities.
This research will feed into a new DVD resource promoting success stories from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in WA which will be distributed nationally.
Kristina Economo
Make Smoking History Project Officer
Tobacco Programs, Cancer Council WA
15 Bedbrook Place
Shenton Park WA 6008
P: 08 9388 4370
E: keconomo@cancerwa.asn.au
W: http://www.cancerwa.asn.au/prevention/tobacco/makesmokinghistory/
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