The Northern Territory’s ban on smoking in prisons is proving a hit with the people it’s meant to benefit - prisoners.

A report on the program – published today in the Journal of Public Health Research and Practice - shows the Territory’s transition to smoke free prisons has been relatively trouble free.

In 2013, the Northern Territory became Australia’s first jurisdiction to introduce a smoke-free policy for all correctional facilities. The policy was intended to promote healthy lifestyles and protect non-smoking prisoners, visitors and prison staff from second-hand smoke.

Researchers at Darwin’s Menzies School of Health Research (Menzies), Marita Hefler and Associate Professor David Thomas, have been working in collaboration with Robyn Hopkins, Principal Health Advisor in the Northern Territory Department of Correctional Services to evaluate the effectiveness of the smoke free policy.

The overall implementation of the policy was considered a success, with no disturbances or major incidents reported. This was credited to a comprehensive awareness campaign with a long lead-in time.

“The extensive communication strategy meant everyone concerned had time to become aware of and to understand the policy. This contributed to a culture of change well before the policy was put in action resulting in a smooth transition,” Ms Hefler said.

Queensland was the first state to follow the NT in 2014, followed by Tasmania, Victoria and New South Wales in 2015. Smoke-free prisons are now the majority in Australia.

Prisoners have historically been a group with the highest smoking rates. The NT experience has shown that it is possible to change that. Both prisoners and staff reported being surprised how well it went. Many prisoners who were initially against the ban reported being pleased at the chance to give up. With many prisoners serving short sentences, supporting people to stay smoke free on release is the next priority.

However one unintended negative consequence of the policy was misuse of Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) patches, with some prisoners trading and smoking the patches.

“Although NRT is based on standard quit smoking guidelines, and was initially an appropriate strategy, it became the most problematic aspect of what was a largely problem-free implementation. NRT misuse is a key finding for correctional jurisdictions to consider when planning smoke-free facilities,” Ms Hefler said.

The legal obligation to implement strategies for smoke-free environments, including prisons, is mandated by the World Health Organization Framework Prevention on Tobacco Control.

The full research findings can be found at www.phrp.com.au.

 Media contact: David Harris 0400 342 389