NSW Health is committed to reducing tobacco-related harm following a long term gradual decline in daily smoking rates among NSW adults. See: Smoking rates (daily) - HealthStats NSW.
Although the smoking rate is gradually declining, tobacco smoking remains one of the leading preventable causes of preventable disease and death in NSW, accounting for around 56,118 hospitalisations (2021-22) and 6,614 deaths in 2021.
The NSW Government has been implementing comprehensive approaches to continue reducing smoking and vaping rates. These include public awareness and education campaigns for quitting smoking, smoke-free laws, tobacco retailing restrictions, and quit smoking services. This work is complemented by Australian Government actions such as increasing taxes and plain packaging laws.
The NSW Tobacco Strategy 2012 - 2021 guides the NSW Government on ways to reduce smoking and harm associated with tobacco use. It outlines a comprehensive set of policies, programs and regulatory initiatives to reduce smoking rates.
The NSW Health Tobacco Strategy Work Plan 2019-2021 supports the implementation of the NSW Tobacco Strategy. The Work Plan focuses on encouraging priority population groups with high smoking rates such as Aboriginal people and pregnant women to quit and stay quit and improving health services in integrating smoking cessation into routine clinical practice.
Some approaches to tobacco control in NSW include:
