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What Works?
Since the 1980’s Australia has introduced a range of strategies that has reduced the number of smokers from 1 in 3 people to currently 1 in 5 people. However this drop in smoking rates has not happened for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, where smoking rates have remained very high and 1 in 2 people still smoking every day. We don’t really understand why this is although we suspect that there are a combination of reasons that is explained in more detail on this website’s ‘Why people smoke’ section.
The number of programs designed to target Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders people has increased in recent years and it is hoped that with proper evaluation we will understand more about what works or doesn’t work.
Key principles to underpin good programs:
- Constant evaluation and improvement of programs that involve community in all aspects of program design and delivery
- Tangible benefit to communities, so that they directly benefit from program outcomes
- Evaluation and best practice for all programs and research, including appropriate and adequate data collection practices, and sharing of knowledge
- Family- and community-focused approaches to program development, rather than focus on individuals
- Build on existing programs and research, so that organisations are not ‘reinventing the wheel’;
- Awareness of the diversity of Indigenous communities by tailoring programs to local contexts;
- Build capacity within organisations to deliver tobacco control programs and to conduct evaluations;
- Resource allocation based on maximum benefit for minimum cost while considering equity
- Sustainable programs that have on-going funding and appropriate training and support;
- Build on knowledge that is transferable not only to other communities, but also to other issues and programs; and
- Inter-sectoral cooperation between stakeholders in Indigenous tobacco control.
