Neeka Zamani, Cancer Council WA
Editor’s note: In the first of a series of Western Australia-based blogs published on Intouch, Neeka Zamani from Cancer Council WA outlines the renewal of a campaign focused on ‘warning signs’ and smoking.
Tobacco use is still the largest cause of preventable death and disease in Australia. In a bid to prompt people who smoke to quit, Cancer Council WA’s Make Smoking History Program have begun re-running the ‘Sounds Like’ campaign across Western Australia from Sunday 11 June 2023.
The campaign was originally launched in February 2023 and focuses on the earlier health effects of smoking including smoker’s cough, wheezing, breathlessness, and gum disease. When talking to focus groups of people who smoke, we found they wanted to hear how the warning signs they have right now can affect their future quality of life.
The confronting, yet realistic, sounds and visuals in the advertisements will encourage people who smoke to stop, listen, and notice the damage smoking is doing to their bodies. We hope our cast of people from varying ages, genders, backgrounds, and lifestyles across the advertisements will resonate with as many people as possible.
The campaign will appear on various media channels including television, radio, audio streaming services, out-of-home, and digital platforms until 6 August 2023.
Tips to kick the habit:
- Visit makesmokinghistory.tips for all the best tips to quit and stay quit
- Try our free, interactive quit planner
- Download the free My QuitBuddy app
- Chat to your GP, Aboriginal Health Worker or Pharmacist
- Call the WA Quitline on 13 7848 or chat online at quitlinewa.org.au.
For more information about the Make Smoking History Campaign or resources to quit smoking, email the team at makesmokinghistory@cancerwa.asn.au.
The Make Smoking History Campaign is an initiative of Cancer Council WA and is funded by the Department of Health WA, Healthway and Cancer Council WA.