EVERY 4 per cent reduction in tobacco smoking saves 3000 lives in Australia each year. The Western NSW Local Health District (LHD) recently launched its Tobacco Strategic Plan to improve community health.
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The five key priority areas include smoke-free environments, community education and promotion, community programs, smoking cessation services and monitoring and research.
LHD acting director of population health Priscilla Stanley said 18.2 per cent of LHD residents reported they smoked, which is higher than the NSW state rate of 13.5 per cent.
“There are more than 48,000 smokers across Western NSW. More than half of this number will die early as a direct result of smoking,” she said.