Tackling Indigenous Smoking

Tackling Indigenous Smoking Program NPA  

The Tackling Indigenous Smoking (TIS) program NPA together with Apunipima Cape York is a population health promotion program aims to improve the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people by reducing the prevalence of tobacco use through population health promotion activities to encourage positive changes to smoking behaviours. 

Elements of the TIS program 

The TIS program is managed and funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care’s Preventive Health and Communicable Disease Section (First Nations Health)  

Priority groups 

Pregnant women, people in remote areas who smoke, and young people have been identified as three priority groups for the program. 

What are TIS activities? 

TIS activities take a community level population health promotion approach which aims to inform and support people in their decisions not to smoke or to quit smoking. These activities will: 

  • encourage community involvement in and support for local tobacco control activities 

  • increase community understanding of the dangers of smoking and chewing tobacco and the links between tobacco and chronic disease 

  • improve knowledge, skills and understanding of the health impacts of smoking, vaping and pathways to quitting among workers and community leaders 

  • promote the benefits of never smoking 

  • seek to reduce environmental smoke and exposure to passive smoking 

  • improve access to targeted support to quit through clinical and non-clinical services. 

Developing and implementing smoke-free policies within organisation, and for other organisations is another key activity that the TIS program supports.