27/10/2025
🚭 Upskill to stub out smoking 🚭
A groundbreaking research project to help new mums quit smoking is being rolled out at TCHHS.
The Health Service recently received approval to participate in the iSISTAQUIT project, an innovative, evidence-based national education initiative.
“iSISTAQUIT aims to assist practitioners in delivering culturally safe smoking and va**ng cessation care to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women during pregnancy,” project lead and Clinical Midwifery Consultant, Healthier Pregnancies Initiative, Debbie Bannan said.
“The program supports brief, meaningful point-of-care interventions that preserve the therapeutic relationship between clinician and client.”
The evidence-based program will assist practitioners to develop the skills to converse with First Nations women who wish to quit smoking or va**ng.
Project champions include CMC Healthier Pregnancies Initiative Debbie Bannan, Director of Midwifery Michelle O’Connor, CMC Clinical Governance Unit Ingrid Birtwistle, Midwifery Educator Thursday Island Rachel Bakker and Northern Director of Medical Services Thursday Island, Dr Ineke Wever.
Clinical Midwife Natasha Baxter, iSISTAQUIT TCHHS champion Clinical Midwife Consultant Debbie Bannan, and Midwife Katrina Pearson on Thursday Island.
iSISTAQUIT will support ni****ne replacement therapy available through TCHHS primary health care centres after a successful pilot program championed by Dr Wever.
Nationally, 8.7 per cent of pregnant women smoke; however, this rate rises significantly to 42 per cent among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.
TCHHS also reports higher-than-average rates, which hinders progress toward achieving the Closing the Gap birth weight targets by 2031.
To help Close the Gap, practitioners can access iSISTAQUIT online training modules, which are aimed to strengthen clinicians’ skills, confidence and optimism in delivering smoking and va**ng cessation care.
“iSISTAQUIT will support meaningful interventions that preserve the therapeutic relationship between clinician and patient,” Executive Director of Medical Services, Dr Marlow Coates said.
ℹ What is iSISTAQUIT?
• The research project is evidence based, voluntary and designed to equip healthcare professionals with culturally informed resources to reduce the rates of smoking in pregnancy.
• Includes training on smokerlyzers, which measure CO2 levels on the breath and help with quitting smoking.
• iSISTAQUIT training is a self-paced, four-hour online program.
