Australia has one of the world's most successful records on tobacco control
. The role of public health advocacy in securing public and political suppo
rt for tobacco control legislation and policy and program support is widely
acknowledged and enshrined in World Health Organization policy documents y
et is seldom the subject of analysis in the public health policy research l
iterature. Australian public health advocates tend to not work in settings
where evaluation and systematic planning are valued. However, their day-to-
day strategies reveal considerable method and grounding in framing theory.
The nature of media advocacy is explored, with differences between the conc
eptualization of routine "programmatic" public health interventions and the
modus operandi of media advocacy highlighted. Two case studies on seeming
smoke-free indoor air and banning all tobacco advertising are used to illus
trate advocacy strategies that have been used in Australia. Finally, the ar
gument that advocacy should emanate from communities and be driven by them
is considered.