Cancer Council’s Tackling Tobacco program: an Australian initative building partnerships for public health research impact

OBJECTIVES: Recognising the need to address high rates of smoking within priority populations, the Cancer Council New South Wales launched the 'Tackling Tobacco' program in 2006. This program aims to reduce tobacco-related disparities among groups experiencing social and economic disadvantage in the state of New South Wales (NSW). After almost 20 years of implementation, this paper describes the development, implementation, evaluation and national scale up of the Tackling Tobacco program. TYPE OF PROGRAM: The Tackling Tobacco program uses an organisational change model to embed evidence-based smoking cessation support within community service organisations (CSOs) which provide services to priority populations across Australia. The program comprises six core elements: committed leadership, comprehensive smoking policies, supportive systems, training and follow up, monitoring and data, and consistent quit support. METHODS: A desktop review of pre- and post-project surveys and annual reports was conducted and used alongside the published evidence from the Tackling Tobacco research team to describe the implementation and impact of the program from 2006 to current. This paper presents data from the 2015-2024 annual reporting periods, supplemented with data collected as part of annual reports from the program's inception in 2006. RESULTS: Since its 2006 inception, the Tackling Tobacco program has partnered with 252 CSOs across NSW, training a total of 4580 CSO staff, and reaching 21,648 clients who smoke. Since 2021 (when client-level indicators began to be measured as part of routine evaluation), 3001 clients had their smoking status assessed. Of these clients, 661 accessed nicotine replacement therapy, 214 received Quitline referrals, 295 received referrals to a clinician, and 1432 received behavioural strategies and written support information. LESSONS LEARNT: Trusted partnerships and the active involvement of research end-users from program inception to implementation are essential for change at a practice and sector level. Community-based health promotion programs should be built on the highest level of research evidence. Achieving change and impact, particularly at a population level aimed at reducing disparities, requires leadership, resourcing and commitment.