By EMILY ROBINSON
Geelong’s smoking rate is 64 per cent above the state average, according to a Victorian Population Health Survey.
Geelong’s figure of 20.8 per cent is one of the highest in Victoria, where the state average is 13.3 per cent.
Figures show that adults in greater Geelong are also slightly more likely than other Victorians to smoke every day.
The survey also found that the majority of smokers were male.
The figures have prompted Quit Victoria to create a new video-based campaign to inspire Geelong smokers to kick their habit.
Quit Victoria’s Olivia Kostandinov said the organisation was seeking “quitting champions” in Geelong to be the face of the digital campaign.
The successful quitters would share their stories, including the ups and downs of the quitting process, to inspire others, she said.
Barwon Health staff care manager and Victorian Network of Smokefree Healthcare Services co-ordinator Dr Rudi Gasser said the region must make “every effort” to reduce smoking.
But the efficacy of the Quit Victoria campaign in Geelong would be “hard to predict”, Dr Gasser said.
“The TAC ads were very effective but now they’re getting ignored and smokers no longer care about the packaging on cigarette boxes.
“The people who can least afford to smoke are the greatest customers of the smoking companies.”
Dr Gasser said some local smokers were spending $5000 to $7000 a year on their addictions.
Barwon Health operates four Be Smokefree Clinics which provide individual support to hopeful quitters.
“The support is here but people aren’t using it,” Dr Gasser said.
Barwon Health also encouraged patients to quit smoking.
“Those in hospital beds have no-cost access to patient quit lines and free nicotine replacement treatment,” Dr Gasser said.
“When people finally give up they always tell me ‘I should have done it a long time ago’.”
Ms Kostandinov said anyone who wanted to share an inspiring story of how they stopped smoking in the past six months could contact the campaign at quit@cancervic.org.au.
