Together, we’re Tackling Tobacco

Cancer Council SA is excited to be launching a new step-by-step program, Tackling Tobacco, to assist vulnerable people to stop smoking.

Jointly funded by SA Health and Cancer Council SA, the program reaches people by partnering with Community Service Organisations.

Why this program is important

While smoking rates have declined to 12.1 per cent amongst the general South Australian population, the following groups still smoke at double the rate:

• People with low income or who are currently employed
• People experiencing homelessness
• People living with mental illness
• People in contact with the criminal justice system
• People with substance use disorders
• Aboriginal people (smoking rate currently sits at 40 per cent)
• People who are LQBTIQ+
• People from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

About 70 per cent of people who smoke want to quit, with people in the above groups particularly struggling. That’s why Cancer Council SA is committed to its Tackling Tobacco program to assist more people to quit.

Through Tackling Tobacco, Cancer Council SA works with Community Service Organisations to:

• Train their staff and volunteers to have conversations with their clients about quitting smoking.
• Refer them to counselling services such as Quitline.
• Provide information and support to their clients.

The impact it will have

Reducing smoking rates is one the best things we can do to prevent cancer and help save lives, while also helping people to save money.

You can find out more about the Tackling Tobacco Program here, or take a look at all of our current cancer prevention and programs and services here.