More than 50 people attended the Moree event where they had the opportunity to meet, get photos with and autographs from some of their NRL heroes, while listening to performances by Scott Troutman, Koori Rep and MC Mooks and enjoying a barbecue lunch.

The Quit B Fit team were also on hand to help spread awareness of the dangers of smoking, particularly for Aboriginal people, as well as provide information on how to quit and the benefits of leading smoke-free lives.

The Quit B Fit program is part of the Closing the Gap initiative and focusses on health promotion, awareness and prevention to provide indigenous people with tools and resources to live healthier lives without smoking cigarettes.

Quit B Fit – Tackling Indigenous Smoking events and promotions officer Sam Ah See said smoking rates for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are more than double that of the non-indigenous population.

“Smoking is a direct link to chronic disease,” she said. 

“It’s also the number one cause of death and disease in Australia.

“We encourage people to not only give up themselves, but make homes and cars smoke-free as the effects of passive smoking are just as harmful.”

The Tackling Indigenous Smoking Roadshow also visited Toomelah on Tuesday.