South Australian smokers are being encouraged to not let the smoke in and quit smoking for good, with the launch of a new anti-smoking campaign today.
Minister for Health and Wellbeing Stephen Wade said for the first time, the State Government has developed, created and produced the campaign advertisements here in South Australia.
“Tobacco smoking remains the largest single risk-factor of preventable illness and disease in Australia and is the leading cause of all forms of cancer, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases,” Minister Wade said.
“The first of two new ads will be airing from tomorrow, in a bid to encourage smokers to reflect on their smoking behaviours and take the first steps towards living a healthy, smoke-free life.
“We know that anti-smoking campaigns have been effective in reducing daily smoking rates, so we are hopeful that by tailoring these campaigns for a South Australian audience, we see a significant decrease in the number of South Australian smokers.”
The new campaigns developed by Drugs and Alcohol Services South Australia (DASSA) feature two distinctly different ads. The first, ‘Recovery’, provides motivational and encouraging messages to smokers, while the second, ‘Don’t let it in’, highlights the threat of smoking.
Drug and Alcohol Services South Australia State Director, Marina Bowshall, said the campaigns are designed to reach smokers at different stages of the quitting journey.
“For many years, the same advertisements have been repeatedly aired in South Australia,” Ms Bowshall said.
“We hope that a targeted, refreshed approach will highlight the serious impact that tobacco can have not just on a smoker’s health but passively to other people, too.”
Cancer Council SA General Manager of Services, Research and Public Policy, Alana Sparrow, said smokers who engage with resources like Quitline can double their chances of quitting successfully.
“Tobacco smoke is made up of thousands of carcinogens or chemicals that are known to cause cancer and when you quit, you start to reduce the chances of illness and disease caused by smoking cigarettes,” Ms Sparrow said.
“Everyone’s quitting journey is different. Every attempt to quit is a step in the right direction and it is normal to have withdrawal symptoms.
“We recommend that you make a plan and work out a strategy, or combination of strategies that are best for you, with a range of resources available to provide support including the Be Smoke Free website, Quitline and the ‘My QuitBuddy’ personalised app.”
Latest results available from the 2018 South Australian Population Health Survey show daily smoking prevalence among those 15 years and over in 2018 was 8.6 per cent, which was significantly lower than in 2017 (13.9 per cent) and 2016 (12.8 per cent).
The first campaign, ‘Recovery,’ begins today, with ‘Don’t let it in’ scheduled to commence early September.
Anyone wanting more information or needing support can call Quitline on 13 78 48 or visit https://besmokefree.com.au/.
