Technical Paper 2:
Tobacco Control in Australia: making smoking history
2.2 - Smoking rates among adults
- Overview and summary of action proposed
- Summary of proposed measures
- 1 - Introduction: the big picture
2 - Progress in meeting National Tobacco Strategy objectives: trends and concerns
3 - Progress in Australia on recommended policies and programs- 4 - What next, what first and for what cost?
- Major sources used in this document
- References
- Addendum for October 2008 to June 2009
The proportion of adult Australians who describe themselves as current smokers was significantly lower in 2007 than in 1980. Smoking rates have fallen in both males and females.[31]
Figure 5: Prevalence of current smokers* aged 18+, Australia, 1980–2007 – males and females
Source: Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer analysis of data from Anti-Cancer Council of Victoria[46-52] and National Drug Strategy Household Surveys[15, 53, 54]
In fact, smoking rates have fallen in all age groups.
Figure 6: Prevalence of current^ smokers* aged 18+, Australia, 1980–2004 – ages 18–24 to 60+
Source: Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer analysis of data from Anti-Cancer Council of Victoria[46-52] and National Drug Strategy Household Surveys[15, 53, 54]
Among people who are employed, the prevalence of smoking appears to have fallen almost as much in blue- as in white-collar groups.
Figure 7: Prevalence of current smokers* aged 18+, Australia, 1980–2007 – by job classification
Source: Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer analysis of data from Anti-Cancer Council of Victoria[46-52] and National Drug Strategy Household Surveys[15, 53, 54]8
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Until 1995, prevalence of smoking fell among people of all levels of educational attainment.
While prevalence has fallen among adults and teenagers in all age and occupational groups, progress appears to be halting among people with more limited education and those living in the most disadvantaged areas.[24]
Since 1995 smoking prevalence has fallen more sharply among people who have completed school than among people who have not. Rates are plummeting among those with a university education.
Figure 8: Prevalence of current smokers* aged 18+, Australia, 1980–2004 – by level of education
Source: Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer analysis of data from Anti-Cancer Council of Victoria[46-52] and National Drug Strategy Household Surveys[15, 53, 54]
Similarly, smoking is declining steadily in the least disadvantaged neighbourhoods but progress is less apparent among those in the most disadvantaged areas (1st quintile).
Figure 9: Smoking rates by area of relative disadvantage, Australians aged 18+, 1989 to 2004–2005
Source: ABS National Health Survey[55]
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Smoking rates among Indigenous Australians are more than double those in the rest of the community.[56]
Current daily smokers, Males
Current daily smokers, Females
Figure 10: Smoking among Indigenous versus non-Indigenous Australians, 2004–2005 – males and females, various age groups
Source: Reproduced from ABS 2007 Tobacco Smoking – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People: A snapshot [57]
High rates of smoking are also apparent among other marginalised groups, including those with mental illness,[58] drug users,[59] those who are homeless[60] and those in prison.[61] A review of 42 international studies in 20 nations found an average smoking prevalence among people with schizophrenia of 62%.[62] Australian research has reported rates of up to 73% in men and 56% in women suffering from serious psychiatric illnesses.[58, 63, 64]
8Includes any combination of cigarettes, pipes or cigars.
The AIHW has released data for Australians aged 14+ for 2007, but the figures for Australians aged 18+ have not yet been calculated.