Custodial populations have high rates of smoking. As a result, they are considered a priority population by health agencies for reducing the harm associated with tobacco use in NSW.
Justice Health and Forensic Mental Health Network (Justice Health NSW) has released research findings on the impact of the smoke-free prisons policy which was introduced across NSW in 2015. The policy provides an opportunity for people in custody to live smoke free for the first time.
The research, conducted by the Population Health team, was funded and supported through a Memorandum of Understanding between Justice Health NSW and the Cancer Institute NSW (CINSW).
Justice Health NSW Manager Health Advancement Shani Prosser said the study gathered insights into the experience of custodial populations who must quit smoking on entering custody.
“As part of our research, we spoke to adults in custody and patients in the forensic system about their intention to stay quit post-release, as well as the challenges they face staying smoke-free when transitioning back to the community,” Shani said.
“The study highlighted that a large portion of people in custody are motivated to quit smoking, yet a lack of support combined with an increase in stressors when re-entering the community proved a barrier to their continued success.”
“Our findings suggest that additional and wrap around supports such as piloting post-release cessation interventions, linkages to community services and additional research may enable people leaving custody to stay quit and improve health outcomes for individuals, their families and communities,” Shani said.
In the words of one participant “If I manage to quit it here, I [will] manage to quit it outside.”
Read the full study here.
