Grand Pacific Health’s Tackling Indigenous Smoking team are marking World No Tobacco Day on May 31 by addressing smoking rates and the high incidence of chronic disease resulting from tobacco use in the community.

Tackling Indigenous Smoking Coordinator at Grand Pacific Health, Jessica Auciello, says “World No Tobacco Day was created by the World Health Organisation around 30 years ago to highlight the risks of smoking.

“Smoking is the primary underlying cause of chronic disease and death in our community.

“We are starting to see a positive change in younger generations who understand the dangers of smoking and are not picking up the habit as their parents and grandparents are likely to have done in the past.”

That is a really great step in the right direction for the future, but more and more people who have taken up smoking need to find the will to stop for good.

“There is still a way to go though in terms of reducing smoking in our community.

“Most people don’t like that they smoke and want to quit, they just don’t know how. That’s where we can help,” added Jessica.

Yass and its surrounds, including, Queanbeyan, Goulburn and Cooma are amongst towns in New South Wales and indeed Australia, with the highest rates of smoking amongst Indigenous people. 

Very unfortunately, this statistic also carries through to these areas being amongst those with the highest rates of Indigenous women smoking during pregnancy, which not only affects the health of the mother but also the development of her baby.

Grand Pacific Health will host a free barbecue and provide health assessments and quit smoking referrals for the local community.

The event will be held on the corner of Comur and Meehan Streets in Yass, NSW, from 12.30pm to 2pm on Wednesday May 31. Bookings are not necessary so just turn up on the day.