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🇦🇺 Australia /Culture & Society

'Bad Smoke' protest song stands up to tobacco industry

From ABC Australia · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • A campaign called 'Warraay Puthu/Bad Smoke' uses music to encourage young Aboriginal mothers to quit smoking and vaping.
  • The initiative, involving health workers and musicians, aims to counter tobacco industry tactics and promote healthier choices for babies.
  • The campaign's anthem has been nominated for a National Indigenous Music Award, highlighting its cultural impact and the personal journeys of participants like Sara Sinclair.

A powerful campaign is using music to combat the pervasive harms of smoking and vaping among young Aboriginal mothers in Australia. The 'Warraay Puthu/Bad Smoke' initiative brings together health workers and musicians to create an anthem aimed at inspiring healthier choices for babies and communities.

I felt so bad that I couldn't go to him directly.

— Sara SinclairReflecting on the immediate postpartum period when she couldn't hold her baby due to nicotine residue.

Sara Sinclair, a Gumbaynggirr woman and health worker, shared her personal struggle with nicotine addiction postpartum. She described the difficult experience of being unable to comfort her baby directly due to lingering nicotine on her skin and clothes. This intense moment fueled her passion to help other young Aboriginal mothers quit, leading her to join the ReadyQuitSolid team in Coffs Harbour.

As hard as that situation was, I'm kind of glad I went through it. Because it really ignited a passion for me, to help other young Aboriginal mothers wanting to quit or make a better choice for their baby.

— Sara SinclairDescribing how her personal struggle motivated her work in smoking cessation.

Musician Sky Thomas, also known as DJ Soju Gang, spoke about how vaping served as a "buffer" while she juggled multiple jobs and family responsibilities. She found quitting difficult due to the "smokers flu," a common withdrawal symptom, and the lack of time for recovery. Thomas eventually decided to quit as work demands lessened, coinciding with a request to collaborate on the "Bad Smoke" song.

I want better outcomes for my mob and the people that I love.

— Sara SinclairExpressing her motivation for participating in the campaign.

The song's creation was a deliberate effort by Dr. Raglan Maddox and his team at the Yardhura Walani Tobacco Free Program at the Australian National University. They brought together artists and Indigenous health workers for a week of creative development. Dr. Maddox explained that while data can illustrate the scale of tobacco's harms, music possesses a unique ability to convey truth, culture, lived experience, and hope in ways that resonate deeply with people.

I didn't have a week and a half or two weeks to be sick, to get that nicotine out of my system. Not everybody can see a therapist every week, not everyone can have a breather. A lot of us can't clock out of our lives.

— Sky ThomasExplaining the challenges of quitting smoking while managing demanding work and life responsibilities.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Australia. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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