Tobacco Free Program 

We are an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led team where outcomes are achieved through partnerships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and organisations. The Centre partners with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peak bodies across Australia, and has nationwide community partnerships, with representation from all States and Territories. The Tobacco Free Program works with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, communities and organisations to better understand, inform and evaluate smoke and nicotine free programs and policies.

Why is Tobacco Control research important? 

The evidence is overwhelmingly clear and has been for decades - smoking changes your body in many ways and shortens lives. Smoking compromises the function of the heart, lungs and nearly all other organs, and can cause cancer almost anywhere in the body. Smoking causes more than one in three Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander deaths, and half of the deaths in older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults.

The good news is, our research shows that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander smoking prevalence is declining nationwide. More than three-quarters of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who smoke, want to quit or wish they never took it up.

However, much more work needs to be done. There are a range of powerful factors that influence people to smoke. For example, we know that the influence of the Tobacco Industry, the continued impact of colonisation and racism need to be overcome to eradicate smoking and smoking related morbidity and mortality. We need to take the next logical step in tobacco control and urgently place communities in the driver's seat. We need to implement Indigenous-led game-changing, evidence-based structural change to foster a smoke free future.

The Tobacco Free research group is committed to this agenda.