Quit Victoria promotes a range of strategies to increase the capacity of local government to actively contribute to tobacco control at a community level. These strategies are consistent with a comprehensive health promotion approach.
The Tobacco Control Health Promotion strategy (see table below) provides examples of how local government can incorporate a mix of health promotion interventions. These suggested strategies are merely examples and provide a guide to the types of interventions local government can undertake to support tobacco control in their community.
These strategies have been presented using the Department of Human Service (DHS) seven categories for health promotion interventions and recognising the need for health promotion action to incorporate a mix of these interventions.
| Health Promotion Intervention |
Local Government |
| Screening: Individual risk assessment and immunisation |
Link in with existing and relevant screening programs. Example: immunisation program. |
| Health information |
In L.G. health services and health settings, provide Quit resources.
Example: through information stands and displays and links to internet sites.
Find our what resources are available to order or contact Quit for further information. |
| Health education: counselling and skill development |
The L.G. can support health education. Example: finance training to enable health workers to become Quit Educators.
Support smoking cessation education and counselling in the municipality.
Provide information to employers about developing a smokefree workplace.
Provide information to venue owners and/or operators about developing smokefree environments.
|
| Community action |
Support community action groups that are encouraging smokefree environments and communities.
Develop and implement smokefree policies in all facilities owned and used by L.G. in delivery of services.
Work with local businesses on becoming smokefree venues.
Engage the community in efforts to enforce sales to minors and point of sale legislation. Visit the Department of Health website for details.
Work with the media to publicise issues and seek to make them community issues.
|
| Social marketing |
Keep tobacco control high on the agenda. Example: provide resources and opportunities to enable media exposure.
|
| Organisational development |
Integrate tobacco control and smoking cessation issues into the Municipal Public Health Plan.
Example: develop and implement smokefree policy guidelines on the use of local government facilities, including L.G. operating under a smokefree policy.
For more information on smokefree legislation you can visit the Department of Health website
|
| Economic and regulatory activities |
Enforce legislation on sales to minors, point of sale advertising, smokefree dining and smokefree shopping centres. |
DHS definitions of these interventions can be found in the DHS publication Integrated Health Promotion Interventions and Capacity Building Strategies November 2002.