GOOLUM Goolum Aboriginal Co-operative has generated statewide interest for a non-smoking initiative.
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The Horsham-based group started the Spot the Difference campaign earlier this year to raise awareness of the dangers of passive smoking.
The campaign involves images on the back of buses in Horsham and at Goolum Goolum events highlighting how passive smoking affects children.
The images show a smoke-free home and a smoke-filled home.
Goolum Goolum health promotion co-ordinator Dean O’Loughlin and other staff were at Horsham Plaza during World No Tobacco Day on Tuesday to promote the campaign.
Their stall also formed part of National Reconciliation Week, which runs until Friday.
Mr O’Loughlin said community response to the campaign was overwhelming.
“We’re in talks with the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, and they’re looking at doing this campaign statewide, because it has been so successful,” he said.
“We wanted a campaign that wasn’t telling people they were necessarily doing a bad thing.
“It was more about how can we protect kids in our homes and take smoking out of the equation.”
Mr O’Loughlin said the campaign aimed to make people aware of the effects smoking could have for them and others.
“We wanted to be leaders in this message, rather than just do something for Goolum Goolum,” he said.
“We need to tackle the problem head-on, and putting the campaign on buses was a good way of getting that exposure out to everyone from all walks of life, not just the indigenous community.”
Mr O’Loughlin said Goolum Goolum had developed pledges for people to sign as part of the campaign.
He said people could visit www.goolumgoolum.org.au for more information.