About the campaign
The National Tobacco Campaign is one of Health's longest running public health campaigns. It launched in June 1997 and aims to reduce smoking rates in Australia. Within 5 years adult smoking had reduced by 3.7%.
In 2024, we expanded the campaign to include the risks and harms of vaping.
Read more about the latest national smoking and vaping cessation public health campaign, Give up for good, that targets adults and young people.
Why it is important
Tobacco use:
- is the leading cause of preventable death and disability in Australia
- is estimated to kill around 50 Australians every day
- leads to health, social, financial and economic costs in the community
Smoking while pregnant increases both the risk of complications during pregnancy and harm to the baby. And passive smoking – breathing in second-hand smoke – exposes non-smokers to serious health risks.
The use of vapes has increased rapidly in recent years, particularly among young people.
This is concerning as vaping is contributing to a range of health harms.
Helping people to quit smoking and vaping, or – even better – to never start, means:
- better health for Australians
- reduced financial cost to our health system
Goals
The campaign aims to:
- empower Australians to give up cigarettes and vapes for good – or not start in the first place – so they can live healthier lives
- raise awareness of the impacts of vaping and smoking
- connect people with enhanced evidence-based cessation tools.
The campaign aligns with the National Tobacco Strategy 2023-2030 and supports reforms to strengthen Australia’s tobacco and vaping regulation.
Who we work with
We work with other organisations including:
- state and territory governments
- non-government organisations and experts in Australia, including the Cancer Council and the Lung Foundation
- SANE Australia – to create resources that help people with mental illness quit smoking
- the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco
Meeting our goals
The campaign targets audiences in different ways, such as:
- TV ads
- social media materials
- resources and educational materials, including in different languages
- resources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and other at-risk groups.
Resources
National Tobacco Strategy 2023–2030
A strategy to improve the health of all Australians by reducing the prevalence of tobacco use and its associated health, social, environmental and economic costs, and the inequalities it causes.
Give up for good campaign – resources for adults
Discover resources to help you give up smoking and vaping for good. Translated resources are also available.
Give up for good campaign – youth vaping resources
Discover resources for young people, parents and carers to help quit or reduce vaping.
Information about the history of the National Tobacco Campaign is available from the National Library of Australia's government web archive.