Healthway sponsorship backs Western Australian basketball

Western Australian heath promotion agency Healthway has announced a two-year, $710,000 partnership with Basketball WA to promote the Smarter than Smoking message.

Aiming to deliver a community program to encourage healthy habits among young basketballers, the state-wide program will be rolled out across 11 metropolitan and 57 regional basketball associations in Western Australia, promoting the Smarter than Smoking message and providing healthy lifestyle education programs and player resources.

The partnership will help to create a healthier sporting environment by providing healthier food and drink choices across club and association venues, and ensuring a smoke-free environment for around 96,000 players and spectators.

The Basketball Fuelling Champions message will focus on educating basketballers about good nutrition, being well hydrated with water, warming up properly and not smoking, to allow them to be the best basketballer they can be.

These health messages will be delivered through the Basketball WA State Championships, Regional Development/Schools network, School Slam Series, Aboriginal Basketball Program and the Healthier Basketballer Program.

Smarter than Smoking is a State‐wide, youth smoking prevention project aimed at reducing smoking among young people in Western Australia.

Announcing the partnership, Western Australian Health Minister, Roger Cook stated “grassroots sporting and community organisations play an important role in engaging people in regular physical activity, which contributes to a healthy and active WA

"This Basketball WA partnership means Healthway can connect people involved with these groups with health information and education messages in a targeted way."

Healthway is also known as The West Australian Health Promotion Foundation.