How Perth Community Health Organisations Succeed Where Government Anti-Tobacco Campaigns Fail

A national advertising campaign can reach millions of Australians, but it cannot always reach people in the places and situations where smoking is most difficult to change.

In Perth and surrounding Western Australian communities, local health organisations are showing that progress often depends on personal support, culturally relevant communication and practical help that continues after a campaign disappears from television or social media.

This does not mean government anti-tobacco campaigns have failed altogether.

Australia’s smoking rate has fallen substantially over recent decades, from around 25% in 1990s to 11 in 2026 with national policies such as taxation, advertising restrictions, plain packaging, smoke-free areas and mass-media campaigns contributing to that decline.

However, progress has been less consistent among disadvantaged, regional, older and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations.

Where national campaigns fall short

Government campaigns are designed to reach broad audiences with a consistent message. That approach can raise awareness, explain health risks and encourage people to quit.

However, a general message may not reflect the realities of someone dealing with financial pressure, unstable housing, social isolation, mental health challenges or limited access to healthcare.

Language and cultural differences can also affect how people respond to campaign messages.

Research has found that mass-media campaigns have had less consistent results among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, partly because of communication barriers, differences between communities and limited access to tailored support.

This is where local organisations can provide something national campaigns cannot: ongoing, relationship-based assistance.

Local knowledge creates stronger engagement

Community health workers in Perth can adapt their approach to the people they serve.

Rather than relying only on images of disease or messages about future health risks, they can discuss the immediate concerns that matter to each person, such as saving money, protecting children from second-hand smoke, improving fitness or managing stress without cigarettes.

Local organisations can also work through trusted networks. Aboriginal health services, community centres, pharmacies, schools, housing services and multicultural organisations may already have relationships with people who are less likely to respond to a government advertisement.

When cessation support is delivered through a familiar service, it can feel more accessible and less judgemental.

Practical help is more effective than slogans alone

A poster may encourage someone to quit, but practical support helps them follow through.

Community programs can connect smokers with quit plans, counselling, nicotine replacement therapy, medical advice and follow-up appointments. They can also help people identify triggers, manage cravings and prepare for situations where returning to smoking feels tempting.

This personalised approach is particularly important for people who have tried to quit several times. Instead of treating relapse as a lack of willpower, a trained health worker can help identify what caused the setback and adjust the plan.

That may include changing medication support, involving family members or addressing stress and social influences.



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Addressing access and affordability

Cost is another issue that local services can address directly. Tobacco prices and financial pressure may motivate some people to quit, but they can also contribute to the growth of informal or illicit supply chains.

People searching for rolling tobacco in Perth may encounter products through different retail and informal channels, making it especially important that health organisations provide clear information about legal purchasing, product risks and available quitting support.

Community workers can also explain the cost of smoking in practical terms. Instead of presenting only an annual figure, they may help a person calculate what is spent each week and identify an achievable alternative use for that money.

This makes the financial benefit of quitting more immediate and personal.

Perth examples show the value of local action

Western Australia has demonstrated how community-based initiatives can complement national policy. Smoke-free town-centre projects, for example, combine local education, signage, business participation and public-space changes.

A Healthway report on the City of Vincent’s Smoke-Free Town Centres project recorded a 42% reduction in smoking and cigarette-butt counts after its first year, alongside strong community and business support.

Results like these suggest that local environmental changes can reinforce individual quit efforts. When public spaces make smoking less visible and less socially accepted, people who are trying to quit may face fewer triggers, while non-smokers receive greater protection from second-hand smoke.

Measuring success beyond campaign reach

National campaigns are often measured by advertising reach, recognition or recall.

Community organisations need to examine broader outcomes, including quit attempts, completed referrals, continued engagement, reduced smoking in homes and improved access to cessation services.

This longer-term measurement matters because tobacco dependence rarely changes after one conversation.

A person may need several attempts and different forms of support before quitting permanently. Local services are better placed to maintain that relationship and adjust support over time.

A stronger partnership model

The most effective approach is not community programs versus government campaigns. It is a partnership between them.

Government policies can reduce tobacco promotion, increase public awareness and fund services, while local organisations can deliver tailored support and respond to community needs.

Australia’s overall smoking rate has continued to decline, but remaining gaps require more targeted and sustained action.

Perth community health organisations are helping fill those gaps by making cessation support more personal, practical, culturally appropriate and easier to access.

For Australians seeking information about tobacco products and legal access, My Cigs Australia provides a platform that encourages awareness of product regulations and the wider health considerations surrounding tobacco use.