The Tobacco Action Plan 2005 - 2009
The NSW Tobacco Action Plan 2005- 2009 sets out the NSW Government's commitment to the prevention and reduction of tobacco-related harm in NSW.
The goal of the plan is to improve the health of the people of NSW and eliminate or reduce their exposure to tobacco in all its forms.
The short term objectives of the plan are to:
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reduce the number of people who smoke tobacco
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reduce the number of children and young people who take up smoking
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reduce the population's exposure to tobacco smoke.
The long term objectives are to:
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decrease the number of people who will die as a result of tobacco smoking
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reduce the level of diseases and hardship caused by tobacco smoking
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reduce the social and economic cost of tobacco-related illness.
The Plan identifies six focus areas for action:
| Focus Area 1 |
Smoking Cessation
|
| Focus Area 2 |
Environmental Tobacco Smoke
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| Focus Area 3 |
Marketing and Promotion of Tobacco Products
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| Focus Area 4 |
Availability and Supply of Tobacco Products
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| Focus Area 5 |
Capacity Building
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| Focus Area 6 |
Research, Monitoring and Evaluation
|
The Plan aims to provide a practical reference tool for all personnel working in tobacco control in NSW and contribute to the design and development of complementary programs and activities in local communities.
The Plan is comprehensive. It includes the adoption of strategies that are evidence-based and consistent with known best practice models. The approach of the Plan is to:
- maintain the momentum of the past 25 years in reducing smoking rates and ETS exposures.
- provide better services and support for those trying to quit smoking.
- re-establish social marketing as a key component in the NSW tobacco control strategy.
- enhance the capacity of current legislative programs to address outstanding issues in relation to young people's access to tobacco products, people's exposure to tobacco product display and advertising, and the public's exposure to tobacco smoke.
- tailor programs to reach and appeal to a variety of target groups within NSW.
- enhance partnership programs to ensure that strategies and activities are devised that are informed by the best available information, are cost effective, and that have the support and involvement of a range of organisations.
- ensure that the plan is sensitive and responsive to changes and new developments in tobacco control over the next five years.
The Plan will implement a range of programs, including:
- social marketing activities to educate and motivate people to quit smoking, to not smoke around other people, to educate people about legislation and government regulations and to inform personnel and agencies in NSW about tobacco control activities.
- assisting and supporting smokers to quit smoking by providing a range of smoking cessation interventions.
- instigating environmental change through the continuation and enhancement of legislation and regulatory activities.
- supporting and resourcing personnel working in NSW to undertake local tobacco control programs and initiatives.
- collecting and examining information from existing research studies and evaluation programs, and the instigation of new research projects.
- working with our partners in NSW and enhancing existing structures, committees and working groups including the Tobacco Control Network (Tobnet).
- working with our partners in other jurisdictions including the Australian Government to ensure input into the development of nationally instigated programs and to monitor their impact and the NSW response to such programs.