THE Cancer Council of NSW, Heart Foundation and Tamworth Aboriginal Medical Service (TAMS) have thrown their support behind today’s World No Tobacco Day, showing smoking is deadlier than we think.
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Cancer Council of NSW North West community programs co-ordinator Dimity Betts said they had partnered with the Cancer Institute NSW to raise awareness that smoking is linked to 16 different cancers which, she said, would shock people.
Along with Heart Foundation New England regional health promotion co-ordinator Penny Milson, Mrs Betts said initiatives such as smoke-free areas, plain packaging and increased taxes encouraged people to quit and not take up smoking.
“It’s also about raising awareness and it’s not just about cancer, it’s also heart disease,” Mrs Betts said.
“We will use the day to raise awareness through campaigns on social media and in traditional media because about 15 per cent of people in Hunter New England Health Area smoke.”
She said in regional, rural and remote communities, it’s probably higher and could be about 20 per cent.
Mrs Milson said she wanted to congratulate all the local people who had refrained from smoking in shared public spaces covered by the Tamworth Regional Council no smoking areas.
“There have been noticeable improvements as a result and our shared public places in Tamworth, Manilla and Barraba are much healthier places to be,” she said.
“This has arguably prompted the community of Gunnedah to take similar steps.”
However, the Tamworth local government area is a leading area in the rates of cardiovascular disease, so Mrs Milson said there was work to do, but the rates of smoking was decreasing from 15.4 per cent in the HNEH area in 2014 to 15.2 per cent last year.
“We are on the right track,” she said.
The TAMS will have a stand at the front of their premises on Peel St where they will have people sign pledges to go smoke free for the day or to reduce their smoking, with a focus on the effects of passive smoking on those around them.
“We’re starting the conversation,” TAMS tobacco, alcohol and other drugs worker Erin Sutherland said.
Last week they head a coming-together event where they gathered women from all generations to push for smoke-free homes and cars for young people.
“We’ve had a very positive response and have had people wanting us to come and talk to their groups,” Ms Sutherland said.
“We want to break that cycle. People can’t believe how bad passive smoking is. We get a shocked response.”
