Co-design to reduce commercial tobacco supply and availability: working with community-controlled stores in remote Australian First Nations communities
1
Outback Stores, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
2
College of Medicine & Public Health, Flinders University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):A1331
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
While Australia is a global leader in tobacco control policy, smoking rates have remained very high among some groups, including remote First Nations communities. Tobacco control typically focuses on individual behaviour change. Community-controlled stores are often the main source of most goods and services in communities. These stores aim to improve community health while maintaining financial viability. Despite their track record in cutting edge healthy retail strategies, they have not previously been engaged in tobacco control programs. This project aims to complement Australia’s Tackling Indigenous Smoking program, by developing innovative strategies to reduce commercial tobacco supply and availability.
METHODS:
This 5-year project is a collaboration between Outback Stores, which provides retail management services to community stores, academic partner Flinders University, and Aboriginal community-controlled health service Central Australian Aboriginal Congress. In five pilot communities in Central Australia, participatory co-design approaches including yarning circles and community engagement days are used to generate community-driven strategies to reduce tobacco availability. These are then trialled and evaluated using both qualitative data and store sales data to monitor the impact on tobacco purchases and overall sales.
RESULTS:
Two stores have trialled a ‘No Tobacco Day’, involving one day per week with no tobacco sales, supported by culturally appropriate education, outreach and in-store support. Preliminary sales data analysis shows cigarettes declining as a proportion of overall sales. Qualitative data shows that introduction of the days has generally been well accepted, and community leaders are keen to drive more innovation to reduce tobacco use in communities.
CONCLUSIONS:
Strong collaboration and partnership with community stores is an opportunity to enhance existing approaches to reduce smoking in remote First Nations communities in Australia. This approach moves beyond individual behaviour change approaches to addressing structural factors.
While Australia is a global leader in tobacco control policy, smoking rates have remained very high among some groups, including remote First Nations communities. Tobacco control typically focuses on individual behaviour change. Community-controlled stores are often the main source of most goods and services in communities. These stores aim to improve community health while maintaining financial viability. Despite their track record in cutting edge healthy retail strategies, they have not previously been engaged in tobacco control programs. This project aims to complement Australia’s Tackling Indigenous Smoking program, by developing innovative strategies to reduce commercial tobacco supply and availability.
METHODS:
This 5-year project is a collaboration between Outback Stores, which provides retail management services to community stores, academic partner Flinders University, and Aboriginal community-controlled health service Central Australian Aboriginal Congress. In five pilot communities in Central Australia, participatory co-design approaches including yarning circles and community engagement days are used to generate community-driven strategies to reduce tobacco availability. These are then trialled and evaluated using both qualitative data and store sales data to monitor the impact on tobacco purchases and overall sales.
RESULTS:
Two stores have trialled a ‘No Tobacco Day’, involving one day per week with no tobacco sales, supported by culturally appropriate education, outreach and in-store support. Preliminary sales data analysis shows cigarettes declining as a proportion of overall sales. Qualitative data shows that introduction of the days has generally been well accepted, and community leaders are keen to drive more innovation to reduce tobacco use in communities.
CONCLUSIONS:
Strong collaboration and partnership with community stores is an opportunity to enhance existing approaches to reduce smoking in remote First Nations communities in Australia. This approach moves beyond individual behaviour change approaches to addressing structural factors.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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