Last Thursday a number of Nepean Community and Neighbourhood Services (NCNS) staff attended Tackling Tobacco Training provided by the Cancer Council.
The Tackling Tobacco Program is an ‘organisation-wide approach to addressing smoking.‘ NCNS is now committed to reviewing our systems and processes to address smoking within our organisation as well as our local community. Quitting smoking is not only a health but also a social justice issue, as smoking is more common in disadvantaged communities.
The main purpose of this training was to build capacity of staff to help vulnerable community members quit smoking.
We discovered that the best way to help the community is to encourage conversations about smoking. By doing this we hope to give individuals the confidence to quit and the opportunity to provide them with the correct information, debunking common myths about quitting.
NCNS staff are now motivated and skilled to have conversations with our clients and communities about quitting. The upcoming Nicotine Replacement Grant from the cancer council will mean we can help clients take the first steps to quitting.
Re-framing these conversations by talking about the benefits of quitting, instead of the negatives of continuing smoking, we are aiming to create a safe space for the community to talk about their experiences and goals in relation to smoking.
BENEFITS OF QUITTING
- Money saved
2 days = $50, 1 month = $700, 1 year = $10,000 - Improved fitness and a general feeling of well-being.
- No restrictions on where you can go
- Carbon Monoxide levels decrease & oxygen level rises
- Taste buds revive! Your taste and smell improves
- Less stressed
- Get control of your life back!
For more information on the benefits of quitting smoking click here.
HOW WE CAN HELP
Are you thinking about quitting smoking? NCNS will soon have information available at our centres and will be working with the Cancel Council to make it easier to access information and resources in relation to quitting.
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The Cancer Council NSW (30/09/15). How the program works (webpage). The impacts of smoking and the benefits of quitting (information sheet). Retrieved from cancercouncil.com.au