Federal Minister for Rural Health Fiona Nash and federal Member for Parkes Mark Coulton have announced that WACHS has been successful in the recent regional tobacco control grant round of the re-designed Tackling Indigenous Smoking Program.

"The Australian government is committed to reducing smoking rates and preventing people from taking up the habit in the first place, including in Indigenous communities," Ms Nash said.

"Tobacco smoking accounts for the deaths of one-in-five Indigenous Australians, and is the most preventable cause of ill-health and early deaths among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

"Smoking rates for Indigenous Australians have dropped since 2002, with the largest decline occurring among those aged 15-17 years.

"The government's range of initiatives will accelerate this positive trend."

Under the program a total of 36 organisations across Australia will receive a share of the $81.2 million in new regional tobacco control grants.

"Well-known Indigenous organisation Ninti One will manage the newly-formed National Best Practice Unit, working directly with the grant recipients, including WACHS, on evidence-based approaches to tobacco control in their local regions," Mr Coulton said.

Minister Nash said an independent evaluation had been commissioned from the Cultural and Indigenous Research Centre Australia "to understand what works on the ground".

For further information on the Tackling Indigenous Smoking Program please visit the website at www.health.gov.au.