The indicator includes those who smoked daily or occasionally. The question used to define the indicator was: Which of the following best describes your smoking status: Smoke daily, Smoke occasionally, Do not smoke now, but I used to, I have tried it a few times but never smoked regularly, or I have never smoked? Estimates are based on 11,490 respondents. 10 (0.09%) were not stated (Don’t know or Refused). LL/UL 95%CI = lower and upper limits of the 95% confidence interval for the point estimate.
Source:
NSW Population Health Survey (HOIST). Centre for Epidemiology and Research, NSW Department of Health.
Tobacco smoking was responsible for 8% of the total burden of disease in Australia in 2003, with lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and ischaemic heart disease accounting for more than three-quarters of this burden (Begg et al., in press). The tangible social costs of tobacco use in Australia were estimated to be $7.6 billion in 1998-99, or about 2.3% of the gross domestic product (AIHW, 2006).
In 2005, the New South Wales Population Health Survey showed that 20.1% of people reported current daily or occasional smoking (22.6% males; 17.6% females). The proportion was highest among those aged 16-34 years (23.3% to 28.4%). The proportion declined with age; however, 3.9% of males and 3.7% of females aged 75 years and over still reported current daily or occasional smoking.
Australia has one of the most comprehensive tobacco control policies and programs in the world. The NSW Tobacco Action Plan 2005 - 2009 is part of a national strategy and is organised around six 'focus areas' (smoking cessation, exposure to environmental tobacco smoke, marketing and the promotion of tobacco products, availability and supply of tobacco products, capacity building, research monitoring and evaluation). The aim of the tobacco control program in NSW is to contribute to an annual reduction of one percentage point per annum in smoking prevalence rates (CINSW, 2006).
Begg S, Vos T, Barker B. et al. The burden of disease and injury in Australia, 2003. Canberra: AIHW, in press. Available at www.aihw.gov.au/publications.
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Population Health Division. The health of the people of New South Wales -
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http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/public-health/chorep/beh/beh_smoprev_age.htm. Accessed (insert date of access).
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