title: Can social and community service organisations embrace tobacco control for their disadvantaged clients?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  High smoking rates among the disadvantaged lead to inequalities in health, quality-of-life and financial well-being. Non-government social and community service organisations (SCSO) are a promising setting for tobacco control interventions targeting disadvantaged smokers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Financial grants were provided to twenty SCSO in New South Wales to support multi-level changes in service culture, smoking related policies and cessation support between 2007 and 2009. Evaluation was conducted using a mixed-methods approach that included key informant interviews, document analysis and staff survey data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  SCSO working with disadvantaged clients can feasibly implement tobacco control activities, including smoking-related policy changes and cessation support. Tobacco control activities were generally acceptable to staff and clients, and staff pessimism regarding their clients' ability to quit reduced, as did the acceptability of staff smoking with their clients. Improvements in levels of organisational support for cessation training and resources, smoking policies and provision of free nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) were reported. Within mental health SCSO there was a positive response from staff to cessation support, financial benefits of quitting and the role of NRT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The evaluation pointed to the acceptability and feasibility of engaging disadvantaged smokers by SCSO, and that tobacco policy and attitude changes can be achieved by small investments, such as grant programs.
authors.affiliation: Health Strategies Division, Cancer Council NSW, Australia. philh@nswcc.org.au
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hull
authors.forename: Allison M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Salmon
authors.forename: Jon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: O'Brien
authors.forename: Kathy
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chapman
authors.forename: Kelly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Williams
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001315:Australia; D005260:Female; D006291:Health Policy; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011204:Poverty Areas; D012907:Smoking / Q000208:ethnology / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D016540:Smoking Cessation; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D012944:Social Support; D012946:Social Welfare; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence
chemical_list: D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution