The Wire

The great divide between Indigenous and non-Indigenous health has been in the limelight lately and the biggest culprit is smoking. A Parliamentary Showcase of Aboriginal Health was held in Canberra today, and politicians were faced with the alarming statistics on Aboriginal smoking rates. Vikki Briggs from the Centre for Excellence in Indigenous Tobacco Control says that 17% of the gap between indigenous and non-indigenous health can be blamed on smoking, making it an ideal target when working out how to “Close the Gap”. Scott Wilson from the Aboriginal Drug and Alcohol council explained why smoking remains popular in Aboriginal communties despite all the campaigns.